


Candid Complex

by randomwriter57



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mostly fluff though, Mutual Pining, i swear this isn't another seven days au, the last three characters don't show up much sorry oops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-09 03:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13472484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomwriter57/pseuds/randomwriter57
Summary: If Sorey could go back in time to warn his past self about anything, he’d tell him that awkward situations don’t end after high school. In fact, it seems that they only get worse. Or maybe that’s just his luck.





	1. monday

**Author's Note:**

> i'm shameless and love fake dating AUs, hence this was born  
> please enjoy

If Sorey could go back in time to warn his past self about anything, he’d tell him that awkward situations don’t end after high school. In fact, it seems that they only get worse.

Or maybe that’s just his luck.

Right now, all he can feel is the weight of two incredulous gazes locked onto him, and his own embarrassment at words he let slip.

Of course, his past self has had his fair share of tongue-slippage: countless times has he called people the wrong name or gotten himself confused during important conversations. That’s not even to mention the disastrous situations which come out of any white lie which might cross his lips.

Today’s lie is no exception.

Moments ago, everything had been fine. With their lecture having come to a close, Sorey had been chatting with a new friend of his, a fellow student named Mikleo. He’s only known Mikleo a short while, but something about their conversations makes it feel like far longer. It helps that he shares a lot of his interests, such as both of them having _The_ _Celestial Record_ as their favourite book.

Even if he’s not known him long, there’s something about Mikleo that makes him think they’d get on like this regardless of whether they shared interests or not. With every debate they have, he gets to see more of Mikleo’s shell crack and crumble, revealing more of the amazing person hidden inside. He can’t help but feel privileged to be the one to whom Mikleo is willing to show this side of himself, though Sorey knows there’s even more to this boy than he’s discovered so far. He wants to learn more about him, whilst still appreciating what he already knows. Something as small as seeing the corners of Mikleo’s lips curl up as he hears Sorey’s theories can be a comfort to him.

That small smile fades the moment they hear a soft cough from behind them. Turning to the source of the sound, they find a girl standing at the end of their row of seats in the lecture hall. She twirls a lock of her hair around her finger, blue eyes flicking between them under heavy lashes before settling on Sorey. Though the people squeezing behind her on the stairs send her many a glare for blocking the path, she doesn’t seem at all perturbed.

“Hi, Sorey,” she says in a tone which Sorey would call cheerful, though others might call sickly-sweet. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah, sure,” Sorey says, leaning back against the seats so he can pay full attention to both his conversation partners. “What’s up?”

The girl’s eyes dart to Mikleo and back, a small pout forming on glossy lips when he doesn’t move.

“Tonight, there’s a new movie on at the cinema,” she says, pulling her lips back into a smile. “We should go together.”

Past Sorey might have been too naive to understand what this girl is alluding to, but at least present Sorey has experienced enough awkward confessions to know that she’s flirting with him. Well, that’s if this can even be called flirting - she’s downright asking him out. It’s not like this girl is unappealing, of course - she looks nice, and she must be intelligent, to be in this History class.

Sorey just isn’t interested.

“Sorry, I have plans,” he says in a genuine apologetic tone. “Mikleo and I are meeting up to study tonight.”

“Oh, really?” The girl leans forward a little, her finger curling under her chin. “The two of you seem close. You’d think you were going out or something.”

He doesn’t know what makes him do it.

For some reason, it’s his natural reaction.

He nods.

She freezes, blinking a couple of times. “Wait, you mean you two are…?”

If he had any sense, this would be his chance to fix things.

Instead he says, “Yeah…?”

This is where the stares of incredulity come in. The girl’s eyes remain wide, rimmed by her eyeliner in a way which makes her shock even more evident than it would normally be.

“Wow, I wouldn’t have guessed it,” she says, letting her hair fall away from her hand. “I didn’t know you even swung that way.”

It is at this moment that Sorey truly realises his mistake. Not that he doesn’t swing that way - he’s never thought much about swinging in any particular direction, to be honest - but making such an implication was never something he intended to do.

He doesn’t let himself look back at Mikleo, instead opening his mouth to say something, anything to rectify the situation-

Mikleo gets there first.

“We try to keep it on the down-low.” The words roll off Mikleo’s tongue smoothly, as though they’ve been rehearsed. As though this entire mix-up had been planned. “It’s kind of new for both of us.”

“I see. That’s great.” Her voice is strained, and she gives them a half-wave before walking in an equally stilted fashion down the steps of the lecture hall to where her friends await her. Her group exits the theatre in a flurry of whispers.

As guilty as Sorey feels for deceiving her, it’s incomparable to his guilt over forcing this situation on Mikleo. He turns to his friend, ready to apologise, only to find him with his arms crossed, a mischievous smirk playing across his lips.

“I wasn’t aware we were dating, Sorey,” Mikleo says in a low tone. Not that being quiet really matters, when the lecture theatre is empty at this point, save for them. “You should have told me sooner.”

Sorey puts a hand to the back of his neck and lets out a nervous laugh. “Don’t worry, I’m as surprised about it as you are.”

Mikleo lets out an exasperated sigh, putting his hand to his forehead. “You act way too much on impulse. Guess we can’t correct her now, though.”

“Huh?”

“She already thinks we’re dating,” he says, moving to pick up his bag. As he speaks, he puts his notebooks inside of it and slings it over his shoulder. “We might as well pretend to date for a little while, right?”

“I-”

“It won’t be that long, don’t worry.” Mikleo squeezes past Sorey to get to the other end of the row of chairs, with Sorey following only after an idle moment of delayed surprise.

“But-”

“No buts. You’re the one who started this, so you need to take responsibility.”

Before Sorey can respond, Mikleo walks down the stairs and out of the lecture hall, leaving him bewildered.

If only his past self could see him now.

 

* * *

 

Even a couple of hours later, at lunchtime, Sorey can’t wrap his head around the situation.

The cafeteria is as busy as always, with students milling around at tables and complaining about the prices of the re-heated food being served. He’s lucky to have grabbed his usual table before anyone else stole it.

Not that he cares much about that, at the moment. He pushes his rice around his plate; even the allure of the glistening mabo curry sauce does not appeal to him right now.

It’s not like he’s against pretending to date Mikleo. The only part of it he’s really averse to, having thought about it for a while, is the lying aspect.

(…Which is what the entire situation is based on, but regardless, it still irks him.)

He can’t deny that he thinks Mikleo is attractive, what with his beautiful white hair (how he keeps it so neat is beyond him) and sophisticated violet eyes. But the idea of having forced Mikleo into this kind of situation is what makes him uncomfortable.

(Not that Mikleo couldn’t have refuted his claim instead of going along with it.)

In any case, there isn’t any point in thinking too much about it. He’s better off taking this time as it comes, and seeing what a relationship with Mikleo is really like.

“What’s with you?” a voice says. “Thinking about your boyfriend?”

He looks up to see his friend Rose falling into the seat across from him. As always, the glint in her eyes is dangerously inquisitive.

On impulse, he almost denies her accusation, but catches himself at the last second. “Er, yeah. Kind of.”

Rose pauses in unzipping her backpack, her mouth falling open in shock. “Wait, you’re not denying it. Did you actually ask nerd boy out?”

Sorey can’t help but wince at the nickname. Ever since he told her about his new friend from History class, she’s been calling Mikleo by that name, and teasing Sorey every time he mentions him.

“It’s complicated.”

Despite the cringe shivering up his spine at the memory of the awkward conversation, he relays it to Rose, who looks more and more amused by the second. When he finishes, she doesn’t hesitate in letting out a choked laugh.

“Only you could get your crush to pretend to date you!”

“He’s not my crush,” Sorey says half-heartedly.

“That’s because he’s your boyfriend,” Rose jokes. “Kind of.”

“Well, it’s not like I meant to agree with that girl. And he’s the one who went along with it.”

“True, but doesn’t that seem a little fishy to you?” Rose leans forward, pressing her lips together. “It doesn’t exactly sound like he was complaining about the prospect of dating you.”

“What?” Sorey frowns. The situation was an honest misunderstanding, so he doesn’t see how Mikleo’s behaviour is suspicious in any way. “I trust him. He was just being kind, to go along with it like that.”

“Most people wouldn’t date someone they’ve only talked to a few times.”

He opens his mouth to argue, then closes it again when he finds his own counterarguments failing on his tongue. It is true that Mikleo’s agreeing might seem strange to someone like Rose, who hasn’t met him before. Still, Sorey wants to trust him.

Besides, he’s equally at fault for this situation happening in the first place.

“It’ll be fine,” he says.

Seeing his stubbornness, Rose shakes her head, finally pulling her lunch from her bag, as if in defeat. “Just don’t let him hurt you, okay?”

“Thanks, Rose.”

It only takes a few bites of her food for Rose to perk back up again, looking up at him with a conspiratorial grin. “So, where are you gonna take him for your first date?”

Sorey pauses in his thoughts. “What do you mean?”

Her face goes blank. Slowly, she says, “Usually when you date someone, you go places with them, on dates.”

“Oh, I hadn’t even thought about that.” He wonders if Mikleo has thought this far into their relationship. Probably, given that he told Sorey to take responsibility, earlier.

“Well, luckily for you, I’m an expert in stuff like this!” Rose gestures to herself with a grin.

“Didn’t your last boyfriend end up being a psychopath?”

“We don’t talk about Konan.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s cool.” Rose takes a big bite of her food then speaks thickly through it. He barely understands when she says, “I still have more experience than you.”

She’s right there - this is Sorey’s first relationship, fake or otherwise. Thinking about that makes him feel a little anxious, to be honest. He doesn’t know what Mikleo expects of him, but he hopes whatever it is, it isn’t too much. Mikleo presents himself like the kind of guy who must have been on dates before, given his confidence. If he wants to make this relationship seem realistic, he’ll need to pull out all the stops.

As if she can read his thoughts, Rose stops him in his tracks. “Before you get sidetracked, dates don’t have to be huge romantic gestures, you know. Find somewhere you want to go with him and do it without thinking too much. You’re hanging out with him, that’s all.”

“I know,” Sorey says, even as more doubt floods into his mind.

“You’ll be fine, so long as you don’t over-think it.”

“I know.”

Rose frowns. Leaning over the table, she pokes the space between his furrowed brows. “You’re over-thinking it.”

Sorey smiles guiltily. “Maybe. Sorry.”

“Why don’t you go to that ice cream place you like?” she suggests. “I’m sure he must have a sweet tooth, if he has a taste for you.”

“What do you mean?” He waits a few seconds, but when Rose doesn’t answer, he gives up. “That sounds like a good plan, though. Thanks, Rose!”

“That’s what friends are for,” she grins. “Now eat your food already! It’s gotta be freezing by now!”

“Oh, shoot!”

 

* * *

 

 

Studying with Mikleo is something Sorey has enjoyed doing, since they became friends.

Usually, it’s not an eventful affair. They spend an hour or two poring over books in the library, often engaging in lengthy discussions about particular theories or events, both coming from different perspectives due to their differing degree subjects. This is accompanied by the librarian glaring at them whenever their voices get a little too loud, even though they’re in the group study section of the library. At the end of their session, they bid each other farewell and head their separate ways, no fuss.

Tonight, that is not quite the case.

Somehow, the news about Mikleo and Sorey being a couple seems to have spread a fair distance even in a few short hours. When Sorey walks into the library, the hush is unlike anything he’s experienced before, and the feeling of eyes on him is unnerving, to say the least. He navigates his way through the tables and bookshelves, trying to focus on finding Mikleo.

He finds Mikleo in their usual corner of the library with his head down, intently gazing at his book, possibly in an attempt to block out the staring and whispers of the people around them. Though this area is usually one of the quieter places, it seems that all of the tables here have suddenly become the more popular study spots. At the sound of his footsteps, Mikleo looks up and his expression relaxes.

“Hi,” Sorey says, moving toward his usual chair across from him. Before he can get there, however, Mikleo tugs at his sleeve, gesturing for him to take the seat next to him instead.

“There’s something I want to show you,” he says in lieu of an explanation. He waits for him to sit down before explaining in a low voice, “We need to act like a couple, remember?”

Feeling the weight of the people around them as he walked in is enough to make Sorey understand why something like this is important.

“Do couples always sit this close together, though?” he asks. It’s not like he doesn’t like sitting close to Mikleo - it’s actually nice, feeling the warmth of his arm pressing against his own through layers of fabric. He’s only surprised that this lack of space seems to be a prerequisite for a relationship.

Mikleo makes a noise of affirmation, closing his eyes as he runs a hand through his hair. Sorey can’t help but watch how his hand moves through white tresses, pushing his fringe away from tired violet eyes. It falls back in a slightly messier variant of its usual flicking style. “So much for keeping it on the down-low.”

“It’d be more of a problem if we didn’t already have this as a solution,” Sorey says. “Although I don’t really get why everyone is so interested in us all of a sudden.”

“A mystery even greater than the ruins of the past,” Mikleo says, a corner of his lips perking up. He pushes his book towards Sorey and points at something on the page. “Speaking of which, I found an interesting passage here…”

For the rest of their study session, they remain in close contact, their tones lower than usual. The whole time, their arms press against each other in a way which is far from uncomfortable. If he focuses, he can feel Mikleo’s heart beating through his skin, can hear each intake of breath between words, can see how his fringe brushes over his eyes when he bends down to examine the book more closely.

_‘Is this why couples sit close together?’_ he wonders each time he finds a new distraction in Mikleo.

“-and though the style imitates the Temperance of Avarost, I think it’s from a later period- Sorey? Are you listening?”

Flinching, he finds Mikleo frowning at him. “Ah, sorry. I kind of blanked for a second there.”

Mikleo puts his pen down, focusing his attention on him. “That’s not like you. Is something wrong?”

“I’m fine, I promise!” He smiles, hoping his words will comfort him even a little.

For a moment, Mikleo watches him, as though waiting for him to change his mind. When he doesn’t, though, Mikleo returns to his explanation, and this time, Sorey makes sure not to get so distracted.

He also doesn’t let himself get distracted later on, at the end of their study session. The feeling of the cool breeze gives him a sense of relief. Even after people stopped looking at them, the weight of their eyes lingered on him. Just being outside feels far more comfortable - almost cleansing.

As usual, they are still deep in debate when they get outside, though their words soon die down as they reach the point where they usually part ways. They stand at the intersection of their two streets, a tall tree marking the point where they separate.

“We should meet up again,” Mikleo says. “Outside of studying, I mean.”

“I’d like that!” After a pause, Sorey shifts his weight to his other foot. “Actually, I was wondering if you might want to go out with me tomorrow?”

Mikleo’s eyes widen a fraction before softening into a smile. “That sounds nice. Do you have something in mind?”

“Yeah, I’ll let you know the details tomorrow.”

“It’s a date, then.”

Hearing the word come from Mikleo’s mouth makes the situation feel more real, even if it’s supposed to be fake. The smile on his lips feels genuine, too.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Mikleo’s smile is a gentle slope, combined with shimmering eyes and slightly pink cheeks. “Me too. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

By the time Sorey snaps out of his daze, Mikleo is already heading in the opposite direction. He barely manages to call a goodnight to him in enough time that it doesn’t seem weird to have replied so late in the conversation. He watches until Mikleo disappears around a corner, his heart fluttering in his chest.

(Note to younger self: Maybe not every awkward situation is destined to go badly. Sometimes it might even be worth going along with the ride, no matter what happens. The best things come from where you least expect them, after all.)

 

 

 


	2. tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikleo doesn’t see himself as an impulsive person. In every situation, he tries to think through his options, even when he has a strong instinct towards one option in particular. It’s in his nature not to act recklessly or without thought.
> 
> Even so, the decision he made yesterday surprised himself more than anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, thank you guys for the response on the last chapter! I'm glad so many of you are enjoying this fic so far. I hope the rest of it is enjoyable too!

Mikleo doesn’t see himself as an impulsive person. In every situation, he tries to think through his options, even when he has a strong instinct towards one option in particular. It’s in his nature not to act recklessly or without thought.

Even so, the decision he made yesterday surprised himself more than anyone.

To be fair, it had been in the spur of the moment. There wasn’t much time for thought, and so he’d acted on his instincts instead of his usual reasoning. When something is important enough to him, he supposes that’s what will happen.

He went along with Sorey’s lie, and in an attempt to bring back his reasoning, he twisted the situation so it would eventually revert to its original state.

Honestly, part of him regrets that. He can’t deny that he’s found Sorey intriguing ever since he first laid eyes on him. Obviously his appearance is part of it; Mikleo can’t deny that he likes Sorey’s crow’s nest of hair and bright green eyes, even if his fashion sense is a little bizarre. But once he got to know him through their shared classes and discussions, Sorey became something which Mikleo wanted to be a part of more than anything. His opinions and theories may be somewhat outlandish, but he always backs them up with concrete facts. He has the imagination a true explorer needs. In that sense, Mikleo can see why he wants to be an archaeologist.

In short, he found himself falling.

That day, he could have taken the opportunity to add depth to their relationship. He could have asked Sorey out properly, and then they wouldn’t have to pretend.

But no. His fear won over him in the end.

After all, he can’t afford to lose this precious person - not when he’s only just found him.

That won’t stop him from enjoying this time whilst he can, though. A week should do; even if that makes their “relationship” a short-lived one, it would still be believable, then, for them to tell people that it just didn’t work out, in the end.

(Not that that’s what Mikleo wants to happen, but he values Sorey’s presence at his side more than he does his own desire for a real romantic relationship. If going back to being just friends will be his fate, he’s more than happy to accept so long as they don’t become strangers again.)

In any case, Mikleo is going to let himself enjoy this week. It gives him an excuse to meet up more often with Sorey, and he can finally get back at his friends for teasing him about never having dated someone before.

Then again, considering the current situation, it seems the teasing will not end any time soon.

“So, Mickey-boy,” Zaveid says, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “This guy you’re waiting for - is it the rumoured boyfriend?”

Mikleo shrugs his shoulders in an attempt to loosen Zaveid’s arm, but it does nothing. Not that he really expected it to, given how Zaveid is as strong as his biceps make him out to be, and on a few occasions he has lifted Mikleo from the ground without even trying.

Still, he’s a family friend, so as much as Mikleo wants to tell him to stop, he supposes the teasing is to be expected.

On the bright side, at least it isn’t overly-publicised this time; even though they’re on the campus’ courtyard, there isn’t another soul in sight. All the benches beneath the trees remain devoid of people, with most everyone being in their classes right now.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Nice job!” Zaveid’s hand comes up to mess up Mikleo’s hair, at which point he finally manages to break away with a scowl.

“Stop that!”

“Only if you let me meet him,” Zaveid says, though he doesn’t advance again, instead leaning back against the statue of the ancient King Meliodas which stands in the centre of the courtyard.

(Mikleo has been hoping they’ll change that statue for ages. The man was said to be a tyrant, despite having unified the continent back in his day. Claudin would be a much better figure to have representing Ladylake University.)

“No way.” He can only imagine the teasing he’ll do to Sorey, especially considering the boy’s trusting nature.

“Aw, come on! Can you blame me for wanting to know what he’s like?” Zaveid’s grin falters for a millisecond. “If he hurts you, I need to know whose face to smash.”

Mikleo crosses his arms over his chest. As much as he appreciates Zaveid’s concern, he does wonder when he’ll stop babying him so much. “He’s not going to hurt me.”

“Yeah, but you don’t know that for sure, do you?”

“Seriously, Zaveid-”

“Mikleo!”

At the sound of that familiar voice, Mikleo turns in its direction. Not too far away is Sorey, waving his hand to grab his attention.

“Hi, Sorey,” he greets him, trying his best to ignore Zaveid behind him.

Sorey jogs the last few paces to reach him, beaming brightly. “Hi! Sorry I’m late!”

“It’s fine, don’t worry.”

Despite his wishes for Zaveid to disappear, no such miracle occurs. Sorey’s eyes move to Zaveid, and he blinks in surprise.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything. My name’s Sorey!” He holds out a hand to Zaveid for him to shake.

Zaveid gives a loud laugh. “No need to be so formal! Any friend of Mickey-boy is a friend of mine. Though I’m guessing ‘friend’ isn’t the word to describe it, right?”

Mikleo sighs. If only he could have shooed Zaveid away earlier…

“Er, yeah, we’re, uh, dating,” Sorey says, scratching the back of his neck.

“Great,” Zaveid says, still grinning. “I’m glad I’ve met you, because I need to have a very important discussion with you, if you’re gonna date Mikleo here.”

“Zaveid, can you save the shovel talk for later?” Mikleo says, though he’d rather avoid such a talk happening at all. “Our class starts soon.”

“Fine, fine, geez,” Zaveid puts up his hands in a surrender pose. “I’ll let you nerds get back to your studying. But don’t think this is over!”

They bid him goodbye and head in the direction of their class, both a little relieved to be out of that situation.

“Who was that?” Sorey asks after a minute or so.

“Zaveid,” Mikleo answers. “He’s a friend of sorts. He actually works in the guidance counselling office here at the university.”

“Wait, really? He didn’t seem like that kind of guy to me.”

Mikleo can’t help but laugh at that. “Yeah, most people are surprised when they hear that he’s a counsellor. He’s good at his job, though, even if he doesn’t seem to take life seriously outside of work.”

Sorey hums, then says, “He seems to care a lot about you. Considering it seemed like he was about to threaten me, there.”

“I’ve already told him you’re fine,” Mikleo says. “He just refuses to take my word for it.”

“I’ll have to be careful,” Sorey says, pretending to frown. “I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of him.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard he’s got a mean punch.”

_Don’t worry_ , Mikleo adds silently, _I don’t think there’s any chance of you getting on his bad side._

 

* * *

 

An hour later, they leave the seminar room in deep discussion about their class, not paying much attention to where they are headed. Not that Mikleo knows where they are headed, anyways; Sorey might have invited him out, but he still refuses to reveal where their destination is.

He can’t deny he’s looking forward to finding out, though.

They almost make it to the edge of campus before Mikleo’s phone rings, a spiralling piano solo forcing them out of their conversation. Sending Sorey an apologetic look, he answers his phone, knowing it must be important, if the person is calling him instead of just texting.

“Hello?”

“ _Hello, Mikleo,_ ” says the voice on the other end of the phone. It is light and chirpy, a familiar comfort to hear despite the circumstances. The voice only confirms his suspicions - this must be serious. After all, Lailah has an aversion to most technology, for some strange reason. She always prefers to text rather than calling someone.

“Lailah? What’s up?”

" _You’ve finished your classes for the day, right? Are you still able to come help me with my project?_ " she asks.

Mikleo brings a hand to his forehead, mentally cursing his memory. "I completely forgot about that. When is it due again?"

" _The end of next week_."

Beside him, Sorey sends him a look of curiosity mixed with concern.

Mikleo groans again. There's no way of getting around this one. He asks Lailah to hold on before taking the phone away from his mouth. "I forgot that I promised to help a friend with her grad project tonight."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Sorey says, somehow managing to smile despite the disappointment he's surely feeling. "Grad projects come first. We can reschedule for tomorrow, if you’re not busy?”

"Thanks, Sorey," he says, trying to make his gratitude show in his tone. He lets Lailah to know that he'll be there in a moment before putting the phone down. He turns to Sorey once more, but when he opens his mouth to apologise, Sorey speaks first.

“Do you want to meet up at our usual place tomorrow after classes?”

Mikleo feels some of the weight of the guilt dissolve at seeing how accepting Sorey is. He couldn’t have picked a better fake boyfriend. “That sounds great. I’ll see you tomorrow, Sorey.”

“Bye.” Sorey gives him a small wave goodbye.

Turning back towards the university, Mikleo makes his way towards the Mioma building, trying to ignore how his heart tugs at the feeling of Sorey’s eyes following him until he is out of sight.

Mikleo has never been inside the Mioma building before, but it’s not difficult to find. With colourful murals spiralling across every vacant piece of wall, it shines amongst the grey-beige-scale of the buildings surrounding it. It’s as though the building itself wants to assert the fact that, unlike the other faculties in the university, it does not take itself so seriously.

The inside is just as colourful. Each wall is decorated with framed artwork, most likely by previous alumni of the faculty. On one particular wall in what looks to be a reception area, there is a beautiful depiction of the mural of the Shepherd. It’s a dedicated imitation, and even Mikleo can’t help but be impressed at the level of skill it must have taken to paint it so accurately.

But he is not here to be distracted by (admittedly beautiful) artwork. He heads towards the stairs to the third floor, then follows the signs until he reaches a door labelled ‘M32’. Beneath the door label is a paper sign which reads: “EXAM IN PROGRESS.” Ignoring the sign, which Lailah has already told him is there to give her privacy, he knocks at the door before pushing it open.

“Mikleo!” Lailah stands in the middle of the classroom, holding onto an armful of long wooden rods, painted a dark mahogany. Most of the desks and chairs have been pushed aside to make room for her display, which currently consists of a pile of DIY equipment. She lays the rods down on top of the pile before heading over to meet him. “I’m so glad you could make it. Sorry for pulling you away from whatever you had planned.”

“It’s fine, we rescheduled for tomorrow.” Mikleo closes the door behind him before allowing Lailah to lead him over to some of the desks at the edge of the room. On one of the desks lies a sheaf of multicoloured paper with various designs and patterns on them.

“You could have invited your friend, if you wanted,” Lailah says. “I could use all the help I can get.”

“He’s probably got homework to be getting on with,” Mikleo says. Besides, it’s too late for him to ask Sorey now. “Are any of the others coming up?”

“Edna and Zaveid are working and Alisha has a driving lesson right now. I thought of asking Dezel but that might be a little insensitive.”

“Just because he can’t see the paper doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be able to find another way of helping him to fold it. He’s a smart guy.” Mikleo says, taking a seat atop the desk beside the one bearing the paper. “Now, what do you need me to do?”

Lailah claps her hands together. “I’m going to teach you how to make an origami dragon, and then I’d like you to just keep making as many different coloured ones as you can.”

“Are you sure you want me to do the origami?” Mikleo says, side-eyeing the wooden rods. “If you need help in setting things up, then wouldn’t that be better, then your origami will look better?”

“I think you’ll become a pro in no time,” Lailah says, elegantly sitting on the other side of the paper. “Besides, I need at least a hundred dragons, so I couldn’t possibly make them all myself. And that’s not even counting the more detailed one which will be the centrepiece.”

She looks over to the other side of the room, where a small collection of dragons already sits, bundled together out of the way. Alongside them sits the base of the centrepiece, a half-formed dragon which looks like it couldn’t possibly be made out of one sheet of paper.

“Okay, fine.” Mikleo picks up a green sheet of paper from the pile. “Show me what to do.”

Slowly, Lailah goes through each step of making an origami dragon, folding her own paper whilst keeping an eye on Mikleo’s. Some of the folding is quite precise, but once Mikleo finishes crimping the tail, the dragon only looks a little bit pathetic. Lailah, of course, does not complain, collecting both dragons and placing them in the group on the other side of the room.

“I need to attach these dragons onto these rods, and then I have to start on the other paper decorations,” Lailah says. “Will you be able to do the dragons now?”

Mikleo nods, thankful for the sheet of instructions Lailah managed to produce halfway through their impromptu lesson. He gets started on the next dragon, this one blue, and Lailah turns her attention to her own work.

For a short while, they work in relative silence, not exchanging much conversation. Only when Mikleo moves onto his fifth dragon does Lailah speak again.

“What were you and your friend going to do, anyway?” she asks, looking up from where she’s attaching a dragon to some clear thread.

“I don’t know,” Mikleo says. “He wanted to keep it a surprise for me.”

Lailah hums in curiosity. “I wonder why he wanted to keep it secret?”

“Probably because he wants it to be special.” Mikleo shrugs. “It is our first date, after all.”

A sudden clatter forces his attention onto Lailah, at whose feet lies a wooden rod, which rolls away from her before bumping against the pile in the centre of the room. She ignores it, putting her hands over her mouth. “A date?” she squeaks.

“Lailah? Are you okay?”

“You didn’t tell me you got a boyfriend!” she says, hopping over to his side of the room and grasping his hands. “Tell me all about him!”

Though he is taken aback, he manages to find the words for an answer. “His name is Sorey. We’re in the same history class. His major is Archaeology, and he shares a lot of the same interests as me.”

Lailah nods fervently, eyes glistening with interest. “When did you get together? And how?”

“It was only yesterday,” Mikleo says, unsure as to why she’s so interested. Then again, she’s always had a bit of an ear for gossip. “And I don’t know, it just happened. He asked me out and I said yes.”

Obviously, it’s a lie, but he can’t tell her the truth. Not when she looks so excited so see him engaging in a romantic relationship at all.

“Ooh, I wish you’d brought him with you,” Lailah says, finally relinquishing Mikleo’s hands. “I’d love to meet him!”

Mikleo groans. “Only if you don’t give him the shovel talk. Zaveid’s already tried to.”

Lailah pouts, disappointment flashing through her eyes. “Even Zaveid knew before me?”

“I think he heard the rumours. I didn’t tell him so much as he brought it up out of nowhere.”

Moving back over to her corner of the room, picking up the dropped rod along the way, Lailah continues asking questions. “What’s he like?”

“I’ve already described him,” Mikleo says. “He’s intelligent and kind.”

“Yes, but what does he look like?”

“Brown hair, green eyes, probably a few centimetres taller than you.”

“Yes, but is he attractive?”

“He’s taken.”

Lailah laughs at his response. “I know! Although it’s interesting to see that you’re the possessive type, Mikleo.”

“I’m not possessive!”

Luckily, Lailah eventually decides she’s done with teasing Mikleo, and the two of them get back to work. Though the conversation manages to stray back to Sorey a few times, they mostly talk about other things. It passes the time, and before long the darkness outside reminds them both that they can’t spend all evening folding paper.

“Though that would be lovely,” Lailah says when Mikleo points this out.

In any case, they pack up and head out for the evening, Lailah giving Mikleo a lift back to his flat in her car before heading off to her own shared house.

It’s somewhat of a relief to finally have time to himself. Not that Mikleo has much time to enjoy it, since he needs to be up early tomorrow for classes again. He goes through the motions of making dinner and preparing for the next day before finally sitting down to browse the internet for a while.

As he scrolls through a few academic news pages, he spots an article about some ruins not too far to the north of Ladylake. They’re ruins which he’s seen mentioned in several academic texts, not to mention _The Celestial Record_ itself. He debates forwarding the article to Sorey, but when an idea pops into his head, he prints it off, carefully putting the paper inside of a notebook so he’ll hopefully remember to tell Sorey about it. After all, it would be nice to share an experience like this before their "relationship" comes to an end.

Any excuse to spend time with Sorey is a good one, in Mikleo’s opinion. There’s only so much time left for them, after all.


	3. wednesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wednesdays are always hectic. But at least Sorey has something to look forward to, today.

Wednesdays are always hectic.

For all intents and purposes, there’s no reason they should be this chaotic. He only has a couple of classes today, the first one being in the morning, hours before the rest. Really, his day should be a lot more relaxed than it actually is. But there is never a Wednesday morning which does not turn into a catastrophe, thanks to an arrangement Sorey should have called off ages ago.

To be fair, he didn’t know at the time that Rose had terrible time management.

It’s strange. Rose somehow manages to be where she needs to be, exactly on time, no earlier and no later, at all costs. Yet, she never leaves the house early enough for Sorey to be sure he’ll be on time for his own lecture, which is on the other side of campus from where Rose parks the car. His Archaeology lecturer must think he goes to the gym before class, because he always shows up out of breath and red-cheeked, three minutes before the start of class, due to panic.

(It can be argued, paradoxically, that Rose’s time management is impeccable, since it gets her exactly where she needs to be, when she needs to be there. She has no concept of an appropriate time to show up to classes, though.)

Still, it’s more beneficial for him to get a ride from Rose when he can; it saves getting up as early to walk there, and she only lives next door, so it’s no trouble for her.

Having Rose next door is both a blessing and a curse, though. Sure, it helps in the department of getting a ride to university, and it’s nice to have a friend living so close by. Rose, however, practically lives in Sorey’s comfortable one-bedroom flat, considering how much time she spends on his couch. Even if she makes it to his house at an acceptable enough time for them to leave without being late to class, she always comes up with a petty excuse to stay a little longer.

“Rose, I appreciate your help,” Sorey says, clenching and loosening his fist restlessly, “but you really don’t have to choose an outfit for me.”

With a double-dagger glare, Rose says, “Sure, maybe some chicks dig the nerdy aesthetic, but if you’re going on a date, you need to look presentable.”

“Mikleo’s not ‘some chick’, though. Besides, it’s only the ice cream parlour.”

“Don’t you think that nerd boy will appreciate you making an effort?”

In all honesty, he doesn’t think how he’s dressed will make so much of a difference. It doesn’t look like he’ll be able to get out of this though. At least Rose’s fashion sense isn’t completely terrible.

(She isn’t even that interested in fashion. In fact, Sorey can’t remember a time when she’s ever fussed so much over her own clothing choices; she prefers comfortable clothes which are easy to move around in. He supposes it’s because she wants this relationship to work out, even if she knows it isn’t supposed to be real in the first place.)

Rose pulls some clothes out of the wardrobe, scrutinises them, then stuffs them back inside. “Anyway, I thought you wanted things to work out with him.”

“I do,” Sorey says. “But with Mikleo, appearances don’t matter like they do for other people. That might be why he seems so modest about himself.”

“So what, he’s the living embodiment of physical perfection?” Rose says.

Flustered, Sorey waves his hands in refusal. “What? No, I didn’t-”

“I’m teasing you,” she says, turning to him with a smile, “but it’s obvious that you think he’s hot.”

Sorey looks down at his hands. “It’s not just his looks, though. He’s such a great person.”

Rose turns away, pulling a different shirt out of the wardrobe. “I hope you’re right.”

Before Sorey can ask what she means, Rose thrusts the shirt into his hands and pushes him into the bathroom to change. He decides not to push the subject - after all, it’s unlikely he’ll get an answer from her, now.

 

* * *

 

Once their classes end for the day, Sorey and Mikleo meet up beside the statue of Meliodas, as usual.

(The statue doesn’t really fit Ladylake University, in Sorey’s opinion. Meliodas lived centuries before Ladylake was founded, so unless he visited the lake itself whilst unifying the continent, this choice makes little sense.

It still makes an interesting feature, though, especially considering the rumours surrounding it. Apparently touching the sword held by Meliodas allows you to get away with any wrong act with no repercussions. Sorey isn’t sure how believable the rumour is, but Meliodas was supposedly a bit of a tyrant, so he can see how it came about, at least.)

When Mikleo arrives, his eyes hold a hint of questioning. Sorey shrinks a little, suddenly feeling the naked judgement the clothes chosen by Rose are conducting. It’s not like she chose anything outlandish, either - only a blue shirt and black trousers, paired with his favourite feathered earrings and a red and black bracelet, also with feathers on it. Maybe it’s his jacket - the white definitely contrasts with his darker shirt, though the navy detailing makes it blend more nicely. Or at least, so he’d thought.

Mikleo lifts a hand, hesitating for a moment at the side of Sorey’s face. Gently, he lifts one of the feathered earrings with the tips of his fingers. “I’ve never seen you wear these before,” he says softly.

For a moment, Sorey forgets to reply, too distracted by Mikleo; lips pressed into a small pout, eyes focused and curious, with a touch lighter than the feather it holds. Most people might be uncomfortable, with someone they barely know in such close contact. Sorey, however, leans into his touch. Purple eyes to latch onto green, caught in a moment of unexpected intimacy.

Mikleo pulls his hand away.

It takes a second for him to snap out of it. When he does, Sorey finally responds in a more rushed manner than he’d have liked. “I’ve had them for a long time, but I don’t usually wear them for classes.”

Making an ‘oh’ shape with his lips, he nods slowly. For whatever reason, when he meets Sorey’s eyes again, it feels like he has more questions, but he does not ask them. Instead he says, “Shall we get going, then?”

The two begin their walk towards the ice cream parlour, chatting absently about whatever comes to mind. Sorey can’t help it when his thoughts go in a different direction, distracted from Mikleo’s casual conversation about his morning lecture. All he can think about is how nice it feels to walk by his side, to listen to his voice, to be able to experience moments like this with him.

If only they were dating for real.

It’s only as he thinks this that he remembers that, even if this relationship is temporary, the purpose of dates like this is to make it seem like they are. If they’re supposed to be on a date, then it’s only fair to assume they should be acting more like a couple - or at least, that’s how Sorey sees it.

How does a real couple act? There aren’t any other couples around at the moment, only single stragglers. Thinking back to whenever he has seen couples, though, he always remembers seeing them showing affection through physical intimacy, like holding hands, hugging, or… kissing.

(The last thought makes heat rise to his cheeks, and he dispels it.)

Holding hands should be a good start, right?

Carefully, he extends his hand across the short distance between them, the back of his hand brushing against Mikleo’s knuckles.

“Sorey?”

He looks up to find that Mikleo has stopped. Mikleo gives him a concerned look, even more questions popping into his eyes.

“A-ah, sorry!” Sorey gives a nervous laugh. “I just thought that, since we’re meant to look like we’re dating-”

Mikleo interrupts him by finishing what Sorey started, twining their hands together between them. Though the warmth comforts him, he is frozen in place by the action.

“Your timing is awful,” Mikleo teases. He starts walking again, pulling Sorey behind him and continuing his story as if nothing had happened.

For the remainder of their journey, their hands stay clasped between them, a link growing stronger with the contact. Sorey actually feels some regret once they reach the ice cream parlour, at which point he is forced to drop Mikleo’s hand so he can open the door.

(It’s required two hands to shove open ever since The Incident a year ago, or so he’s been told. He honestly doesn’t know why the owner hasn’t had it fixed yet, or what The Incident even entailed, but no matter.)

As ever, the ice cream parlour is quiet, mostly due to the time of day and week. It’s dinnertime on a Wednesday, after all - not exactly peak ice cream time. As such, most of the diner-style booths and tables are free, save for a woman Sorey doesn’t recognise reading a newspaper at a table in the corner of the room.

One would think the bright colours and welcoming nature of the parlour would make it more popular, but with it being on a back street, he supposes it makes sense for it to be so quiet.

In any case, this is Sorey’s favourite time to get ice cream, and he’s happy that today he’ll be able to share this happy moment with Mikleo.

They make their way to the counter, which is currently unmanned; the staff are most likely all in the kitchens right now. Sorey looks over to Mikleo, trying to gauge his reaction to the place. Mikleo’s face does not betray much, though his eyes are fixed on the menu hanging behind the counter, moving over each item and scrutinising it.

“What are you thinking of getting?” Sorey asks, both in an attempt to make conversation and out of genuine curiosity as to what kinds of flavours Mikleo likes.

Mikleo hums, putting a hand on his chin in thought. “They have a good variety of flavours, so it’s difficult to choose. I’ll probably go for matcha, then.”

Suddenly, a new voice enters the conversation. “Matcha for Meebo? Why am I not surprised.”

Behind the counter is one of the workers, a short girl with blond hair and a teasing smirk, aimed at Mikleo. Sorey recognises her from a few of his past visits, though he hasn’t spoken to her much, save for ordering his own ice cream.

Mikleo groans. “I forgot you worked around here.”

“Is that any way to greet a lady?” she admonishes. “Have some respect.”

“Hello, Edna,” Mikleo says in a flat tone. “Is that better?”

Edna does not answer, instead looking over to Sorey with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

“I could say the same for the two of you,” Sorey says with a laugh.

“Oh, Meebo and I have a long and complex relationship,” Edna says.

Mikleo crosses his arms over his chest. “By which she means that she’s friends with a family friend of mine, and I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity of knowing her since I was quite young.”

Edna does not make any further comment, instead turning to Sorey. “I’m guessing you want two scoops of vanilla in a waffle cone, right?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Punching the order into the register, she tells them how much they owe. Sorey pulls out his wallet and passes some gald over, much to Mikleo’s chagrin.

“You don’t need to pay for me,” Mikleo says.

“We’re dating, right?” Sorey says with a grin. “Let me treat you every once in a while.”

Mikleo, surprisingly, does not push the issue - not that he gets a chance to. At Sorey’s words, Edna speaks once more.

“What? Meebo, you finally got a boyfriend?”

“Can you stop calling me that?” Mikleo says with a sigh. “But yes, Sorey and I are dating.”

For a moment, an expression of sincere surprise crosses Edna’s face before she returns to her usual poker-faced expression. “Well, he’s something, alright. Just keep your gross affection out of my store.”

Sorey frowns, not really understanding what she means by ‘something’, but he doesn't ask.

“It’s not technically your store,” Mikleo points out, but Edna ignores him in favour of scooping ice cream into two separate cones. She passes Mikleo his first, and he takes off to a table in the corner.

“Sorey,” Edna says quietly. Her eyes glint with an unexpected determination which takes him aback. “You’d better be serious about him. Meebo doesn’t like being played around with.”

Before Sorey gets a chance to answer, Edna passes him his ice cream and disappears into the kitchen once more, leaving them on their own. Sorey shrugs to himself and moves over to the table where Mikleo waits for him.

“I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable,” Sorey says as he sits down. “I didn’t realise you two knew each other.”

“It’s fine,” Mikleo says. “I knew she worked in this area of town, but I didn’t know she worked here.”

“Oh, okay.”

Sorey eats some of his ice cream, smiling as soon as the familiar flavour hits his taste-buds. This is the reason he loves this place so much - he hasn’t found a better tasting soft-scoop yet. None of the others have such a smooth texture, or such an enticing flavour. They’re all either too grainy or bland for his liking.

Across from him, Mikleo raises an eyebrow with a fond expression. “You really like that ice cream, don’t you?”

“It’s my favourite,” he confesses. “Do you want to try it?”

Mikleo nods. Sorey tilts the ice cream towards Mikleo, watching as he leans over to try some. In the background, someone starts coughing rather loudly, but when he turns around in concern, all he sees is the door to the kitchen swinging shut.

“It’s good,” Mikleo says as he leans away again. “Though it’s not as good as the ice cream I make.”

“Woah, you can make ice cream?”

“Yes. It’s the first thing I was ever taught to make.” Mikleo opens his mouth, as though to say more, but his expression turns to surprise as his own ice cream drips onto his hand. He saves his ice cream from any more catastrophes by eating some, at which point Sorey remembers to eat his own before it also melts.

After a few minutes, Sorey says, “How’s your one?”

“It’s good.” He tilts it towards Sorey in offering.

Without a second thought, Sorey tries some of the matcha ice cream, humming at the sweet flavour, which leaves an unexpectedly bitter aftertaste, at which he wrinkles his nose. “I prefer vanilla, but that one’s good too!”

“I guess you like sweet things,” Mikleo says, going back to his own ice cream.

“I’m not particularly fussy, actually,” Sorey says with a shrug. “Ever since I was young, I’ve pretty much had to eat whatever is put on my plate.”

“Strict parents?”

Sorey looks down at his ice cream, sunken beneath walls of waffle cone. “Not really. I mean, I grew up with just my Gramps, so I ended up doing a lot of the cooking.”

He feels Mikleo’s eyes on him as he says, “Did your parents…?”

“My mother died just after I was born,” Sorey says simply. “I was premature, and her body was pretty weak at the time.” He honestly doesn’t feel saddened by the thought. As much as he would have loved his mother had she lived, he doesn’t remember her at all, so it’s not like he knows what he’s missing. He can’t deny a little bit of curiosity as to what she might have been like, but it’s never been all that important to him.

“I see,” Mikleo says. By his tone, Sorey can tell he understands, somehow. “What’s your Gramps like?”

Finally looking back up at Mikleo, Sorey grins. “He’s amazing. Even though he’s pretty old, he’s still doing stuff for everyone in the village. I think you’d like him.”

“You’re not from Ladylake?”

“Nope! I’m from Elysia, a village in the mountains.” At the name of his village, he feels a pang of homesickness. It’s been a while since he’s been home. “Hey, you should come visit with me sometime!”

Mikleo gives him a small smile, which for some reason doesn’t manage to completely reach his eyes. “That sounds nice.”

Sorey grins, and they go back to eating their ice creams for a few minutes. That is, until a thought strikes Sorey, and he turns back to Mikleo.

“Were you born in Ladylake, then?”

“No, I grew up in Camlann. It’s not too far from Elysia, if I remember correctly.”

“Oh, I’ve heard of that place! The Origin Village, right?”

“Yes,” Mikleo says. “A village which became the origin of hope once the last known Shepherd defeated the Lord of Calamity. Or at least, so the legends say.”

The idea of growing up in such a historical place amazes Sorey. He wonders if that’s why Mikleo is so interested in history as he is.

“Isn’t it where _The Celestial Record_ was written, too?”

Mikleo nods. “Most of it, anyway.”

“That’s so cool,” Sorey says. “There must be so many places to explore there, so much history to discover!”

“Maybe you could visit, sometime.”

Something in Sorey’s chest heats up at the pseudo-invitation. “I’d love that!”

Despite his happiness, however, it’s only once he and Mikleo part for the night that he remembers that this is only meant to be temporary. Once Mikleo suggests they ‘break up’, their friendship could be on the line. After all, the feelings in Sorey’s heart only continue to grow, and he’s not sure what will happen if they reach overflowing capacity.

In any case, he can’t burden Mikleo with feelings he doesn’t reciprocate. From what he’s seen, Mikleo isn’t interested in a romantic relationship at all, and Sorey has managed all his life so far without one, too. Even if he has to live with unrequited feelings, he can survive so long as his friendship with Mikleo continues as before.

Until he can put these chaotic feelings in his heart to rest, Sorey will do his best to support Mikleo in whatever way he can. He will not burden him with these feelings, not if it will only end up hurting him and putting a stopper on their friendship. He can’t imagine having to live knowing that he’s made Mikleo feel uncomfortable with him. To stay with Mikleo, he’ll put up with keeping his emotions hidden.

Even if that means heartbreak.


	4. thursday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today, even books can't distract Mikleo from his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! This chapter isn’t a Valentine’s chapter or anything, but I hope you enjoy what’s in store regardless!

The library has always been a sanctuary, of sorts. With towers of tomes surrounding him, it’s easy for Mikleo to hide in their depths, to remove himself from the world and go to the past, to learn about civilisations long gone. In a way, it has always been his greatest distraction.

But today, even books can’t distract him from his thoughts. It shouldn’t be a surprise, considering how manic the past few days have been. Even yesterday made his head spin a little.

(He might have acted nonchalant to Sorey, but he can’t deny how his heart skipped a beat when their knuckles brushed against each other, when he realised what Sorey might be doing. And even before that, the lack of space between them when he reached up to touch Sorey’s earrings…

It’s dangerous. True, for their fake relationship, this kind of behaviour is perfect. But he can’t allow himself to get his hopes up. It’s not like Sorey is interested in a romantic relationship, after all.)

He fixes his eyes on the book in front of him, but the text blurs together, his brain too focused on other thoughts to make sense of it. If he didn’t have assignments to work on, he might give up and find something more distracting to do. In fact, he might do it anyway. The idea of a distraction is welcome.

Then he remembers the friends who will be joining him, and he finds himself defeated. He can’t just abandon them when they’re under the impression they’ll be studying together.

He tries his best to keep his eyes on his book until he hears footsteps coming over, and a voice greeting him.

“Hi, Mikleo!”

Mikleo freezes. That’s not the voice he expected. Looking up, he sees Sorey standing by his table, alongside a girl he’s never met.

“Sorey,” he says, his body relaxing despite itself. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I could say the same for you. Don’t you usually have a class right now?”

“Cancelled. The lecturer couldn’t make it.” His eyes pass over to the girl once more, but before he can ask for her name, she takes the initiative herself.

“I’m Rose,” she says, pointing a thumb to herself with a grin. “Sorey’s long-time friend and next-door neighbour. And I assume you are the infamous nerd boy.”

“‘Nerd boy?’” Mikleo grimaces. Surely Sorey hasn’t been referring to him as that, right?

Sure enough, Sorey admonishes Rose with a frown. “Didn’t I tell you not to call him that?”

“I know, I know.” Rose waves it off. “Hey, mind if we join you? You look lonely at such a big table all by yourself.”

“I’m actually waiting on some others who I study with, but they won’t mind you joining.”

“Thanks!”

Sorey takes the seat beside Mikleo without his prompting this time. Across from them, Rose dumps her bag on one chair before taking the one next to it.

Mikleo turns to Sorey, ignoring Rose’s casual behaviour. “Thanks again for yesterday. I enjoyed it.”

“I’m glad!” Sorey says. “I thought you would like that place, so it’s good to hear you had a good time.”

“I did. Though seeing Edna was something I could have done without.”

“She didn’t seem that bad, to me.”

Mikleo groans, not particularly caring to delve into his complex relationship with Edna. She’s like a sister to him, to be honest, but the teasing really is insufferable.

“By the way, I heard about this ruin in the north,” Mikleo says changing the subject. He pulls out the printed piece of paper from Tuesday evening. “The Galahad Ruins. Have you heard of them?”

Sorey’s eyes shine. “They were mentioned in _The Celestial Record_ , right? They’re home to a holy waterfall used for coronation ceremonies.”

“Exactly.” Mikleo’s grin widens as he pushes the printed sheet of paper towards Sorey, pointing at where a small map is pictured at the bottom of the page. “And apparently there are no rules against public entry.”

“No way,” Sorey says, taking the map and trailing his finger along a path between Ladylake and the ruins’ supposed location. “What about potential looters, though?”

“They replaced the valuable artifacts with fibreglass when they restored the ruin a few years ago,” Mikleo says, remembering the web-pages he’d read about it. “In any case, do you want to take a trip there?”

Sorey looks up from the paper, his eyes bright but conflicted. “I’d love to, but when would we go?”

Mikleo shrugs. “This weekend is as good as any, for me.”

“Perfect! Let’s go on Saturday, then - we can camp there overnight and return on Sunday.”

“Woah, hold your horses there,” Rose says, looking up from her own spread of books. “Isn’t this Saturday a little soon for ruin exploration? Don’t you need to plan this kind of thing?”

“It doesn’t exactly require any more preparation than your average camping trip would,” Mikleo says. “As long as we can secure a tent and prepare some food, I think we should be good to go.”

“I think I still have a tent in my apartment from over the summer,” Sorey says.

“Great,” Mikleo says. “How about you come over to my flat later on and we can plan how we’re going to get there?”

“That sounds like a plan!”

Across the table, Mikleo can’t help but notice the way Rose narrows her eyes at him, as though she can’t quite pin him down. He decides not to ask about it.

Just as he goes back to talk with Sorey about their new plans for the weekend, three new sets of footsteps approach their table, and they all look up to greet them.

“It seems we have company,” Lailah says in her usual polite tone, smiling warmly at Sorey and Rose.

Dezel does not look too interested in the newcomers, which is to be expected, since he’s a pretty stoic guy to begin with. But Alisha, on the other hand, looks ready to burst with excitement.

“Sorey, Rose!” she says. “It’s been too long!”

“It’s nice to see you too, Alisha,” Sorey says.

“Wait, you know each other?” Mikleo asks, looking to Sorey for the answer.

However, it comes from Alisha. “We all went to the same high school. Even though we all got into the same university, our schedules have never really matched up, so it’s been hard to organise a meet-up.”

“Well, you look like you’re doing well, at least,” Rose says, pushing her bag off the chair next to her and onto the floor. “How’s Politics treating you?”

“It’s wonderful so far,” Alisha says, taking the seat next to Rose without hesitation. “I feel like I’ve learnt a lot, even if the workload is heavy.”

Following Alisha’s lead, Dezel and Lailah take seats at the table, with the former on Rose’s other side and the latter beside Mikleo.

“In any case,” Alisha says, looking across the table to Sorey and Mikleo, “I had not expected such a combination of friendship groups. I was unaware that the two of you knew Mikleo.”

“Oh, I think Sorey knows Mikleo pretty well, actually.” Rose’s eyes are filled with mischief, one which can only mean trouble for Mikleo, Sorey, and the naive Alisha.

“Sorey and I are dating,” Mikleo explains, cutting Rose’s mischief short.

Beside him, Sorey grins sheepishly at his friends.

Alisha gasps, then covers her mouth with her hands. “Really? That’s wonderful news!”

Rose grins. “After all the girls who confessed to him as a kid, it’s amazing he’s actually dating someone now, right?”

“You’re right!”

Sorey puts his head down on the desk, though Mikleo can see the tips of his ears burning red. He can’t help but stifle a laugh at the sight.

“In any case,” Lailah says, “it’s lovely to meet the two of you. My name is Lailah.”

“Lailah is doing her grad project in art,” Mikleo explains.

Sitting back up, Sorey says, “Oh, you’re the one Mikleo helped on Tuesday, right?”

“Yes, that’s right,” she says, clasping her hands on the table. “Sorry to take him away from you. I’m sure you had something nice planned.”

Sorey shakes his head. “Don’t worry, we met up yesterday instead!”

Her face as gentle as ever, Lailah looks across the table to the only one not to have introduced himself. “Oh, and this here is our other friend.”

Across the table, Dezel raises his head from the braille slate in front of him, only to mutter a single word. “Dezel.”

Rose looks over to him, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. A moment later, she recovers. “My name’s Rose, and I’m sure you all know Mikleo’s boyfriend’s name by now.”

“Of course,” Lailah says, clapping her hands together in joy. “Mikleo wouldn’t stop talking about him the other day.”

“Lailah!” He feels blood rush to his own cheeks now and averts his eyes, conscious of his friends laughing around him.

A loud hushing sound makes them all quieten, and the librarian glares at them before storming away with her cart of books.

“We should probably quieten down before we get kicked out,” Sorey says once the librarian is out of earshot.

Mentally, Mikleo thanks him for this welcome distraction. He thanks him again when it works; A moment later, the table is mostly silent, save for a few whispers between those who sit beside each other. He breathes a sigh of relief, ready to delve back into the book he’d been studying, when Sorey turns to him.

“So, you talked about me that much?” Sorey says in a low, but teasing tone.

“Shut up.”

Sorey laughs quietly. Mikleo turns his eyes back to his book, but a moment later, he feels a soft, warm pressure on his cheek, barely there for a moment before it disappears. He looks over to Sorey again, only to see him absorbed in one of his own books, his ears red once more.

Raising a hand to his cheek, Mikleo knows his own blush will not be subsiding anytime soon. ‘Did Sorey just…?’

“Keep your lovey-dovey stuff out of the library,” Rose complains loudly, startling them both out of their shyness. “Some of us are trying to study here.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Sorey says with a laugh.

Mikleo looks down at his book once more, but all he can think of is the lingering warmth on his cheek and the closeness of the boy next to him.

His book certainly won’t distract him from his thoughts now.

 

* * *

 

Later that day, Mikleo stands in front of the statue of Meliodas once more, this time alone. Rain patters softly around him, but he does not head for shelter. Instead he lets the droplets hit him, a gentle rhythm against his cheeks. With his eyes closed, he can almost fool himself into believing he is somewhere else entirely, forgetting about his current woes and letting the water soothe him.

Then a voice cuts through the image.

“Mikleo! Sorry I’m late!”

He looks over to Sorey, not minding the interruption. After all, even considering his love for the rain, he wouldn’t stand outside in it for no reason at all.

Though the murky weather contrasts with Sorey’s sunny personality, seeing his hair flattened by it is somewhat endearing; it makes him look younger. In any case, his green eyes continue to shine through the grey clouds, bright and glimmering.

“You didn’t bring an umbrella?” Mikleo says in lieu of a greeting.

“I don’t usually carry one,” Sorey says. “I don’t mind the rain.”

Mikleo crosses his arms over his chest. “And I thought a good boyfriend was supposed to bring an umbrella to make sure his partner doesn’t get cold.”

Sorey tilts his head to the side. “The cold is a virus, though? Besides, I thought you liked the wet weather. At least, I’ve never seen you use an umbrella, either.”

For a moment, Mikleo simply stares at Sorey, before he can’t help but laugh.

“What is it?” Sorey asks.

“Never mind. Let’s get going.”

Thankfully, Sorey drops the subject, instead taking up Mikleo’s hand and walking alongside him. Mikleo lets his hand relax, his fingers curving around Sorey’s. At a matching pace, they walk through the rainy streets towards where Mikleo’s apartment is.

Inviting him over had been a spur of the moment thing. When they talked about their trip to the ruins, the thought had popped into his mind and he hadn’t hesitated before voicing it. Perhaps it was just an excuse to spend more time with Sorey, but Mikleo doesn’t find himself minding so much. He can allow himself to indulge at least a little.

In any case, it doesn’t take long for them to reach his apartment, since he lives close to campus. Four floors up, Mikleo leads Sorey to his front door and unlocks it before inviting him in.

One of the things Mikleo always looked forward to as a teenager was moving out into a place of his own. It’s not due to lack of love for his family, of course - his mother certainly has a special place in his heart. However, he has been headstrong and independent for as long as he can remember, cooking and cleaning for himself from a young age. Having his own place felt like a dream. After all, here, he can express himself in any way he likes, from how he organises things to the decorations he puts up.

That is hindered by the fact that he’s renting this place, of course. He can’t put anything on the walls in case it damages them, which is a little disappointing, but no matter. He’s made do with what decorations he can use. The shelves still hold both books and small knick-knacks, items he’s collected over the years with significant memories tied to them. In the living room, the colour scheme remains mostly blue, which is harder to do than one would think when you’re living on a budget. Still, somehow he managed to find a blue couch, which holds a few white pillows, which match the carpet.

(He did not choose the carpet, and had he had a choice in the matter, white would not have been his first choice. It took him hours to get the stain out of it when Zaveid spilt his wine during his flat-warming pseudo-party.)

“Make yourself at home,” Mikleo says, leading Sorey into the living room. “Do you want anything to drink?”

“Water would be good, thanks.”

With a nod, Mikleo heads to the connected kitchen, ignoring his plates from breakfast this morning in favour of fixing up two glasses of water, a task which barely takes any time at all. Less than a minute passes before he’s back in the living room, placing their drinks on top of coasters on the coffee table. He sits beside Sorey on the sofa, only then noticing the book in his hands.

Sorey is enamoured by it, flipping through its pages with gleaming eyes. “You’ve read The Trials of Asura?”

“Of course. I follow most of the publications regarding the Legend of the Shepherd.”

“I didn’t realise you were so interested in it,” Sorey says, turning his smile to him.

Mikleo returns the smile, but much more softly, and looks down at the book in Sorey’s hands. “I’m not much of a romanticist, but I like the idea of seraphim, especially in peaceful coexistence with humans.”

“Me too! I wish seraphim existed in real life - imagine the amount of worldly knowledge they would be able to share! The amount of history they would have lived through!”

“I’m sure if they do exist, they’d appreciate the sentiment.”

Sorey puts the book back down on the coffee table, then changes the conversation slightly. “You’d make a good seraph, you know.”

Mikleo raises an eyebrow, though his heart skips a beat. “What makes you say that?”

For a moment, he hesitates, a flush of pink crossing his face. “It’s just a hunch. But you would definitely be a water seraph, if you were one.”

“Is that just because I like water?”

“Maybe.”

Neither of them can help but laugh. The sound is a song in Mikleo’s ears, one he could get used to hearing.

Once their laughter subsides, Sorey says, "So if you'd be a water seraph, what would that make me?"

Mikleo hums in thought before saying, "Who's to say you would be anything other than a human?"

"That's so boring though," Sorey whines, exaggerating his pout. "Humans can't use artes or anything, and their lifespans are so short. Most of them wouldn't even be able to see seraphim."

"I get the feeling you would have high resonance, though. Besides, maybe you would become a Shepherd." Even as he makes this excuse, though, Mikleo is already rethinking his theory - a long lifetime with only a short amount of time spent at Sorey's side is a thought which makes his heart ache terribly.

"That does sound really cool," Sorey says, unknowing of the thoughts going through Mikleo's head. "I'd get to travel the world, exploring ruins and helping people..."

"Sound like your kind of thing?"

After a moment, Sorey nods, grinning. "Yeah, definitely! You'd come with me, right?"

"Without a doubt. Besides, you would need someone to keep you from making stupid decisions."

“Hey!” When Sorey opens his mouth to complain, his stomach beats him to the punch, grumbling rather loudly.

Mikleo can’t help but feel amused. “Maybe we should continue this discussion over dinner.”

Sorey grins. “Sounds like a plan!”

For the next half hour, they discuss their plans for the weekend whilst Mikleo makes dinner, after assuring Sorey multiple times that he doesn’t need help. Luckily it isn’t long before their stomachs are satisfied, the dishes are washed (courtesy of Sorey), and they return to the sofa to watch a documentary.

At first, they sit as they usually do, but as the documentary they’re watching wears on, they gravitate closer to each other, until Sorey’s head is on Mikleo’s shoulder and their hands intertwine between them. Their shared body heat is a comfort, and gradually, Mikleo lets his head rest on top of Sorey’s.

There’s no one around to see them like this, thus giving them no reason to sit like this. But somehow, it feels natural. Mikleo gets the feeling that they would be like this no matter how long they had known each other, no matter whether their relationship was platonic or romantic.

The documentary is interesting, sure; as a two-hour feature on the history of the Pendrago Shrinechurch, it’s something they share a mutual interest in. But halfway through, the breathing beside him slows into soft snores, barely audible. Mikleo tilts his head as carefully as he can, only to see that Sorey has indeed fallen asleep on his shoulder.

Not that he minds. In fact, his sleeping face is rather endearing. He looks so calm and innocent, as compared to than his usual vibrant expression. So endearing is he that Mikleo doesn’t think before placing a tender kiss on the top of his head.

When he pulls away, he doesn’t regret his decision. By this point, there is no mistaking his feelings, nor is there any way he’ll be able to avoid them.

That’s why he needs to tell Sorey. Perhaps not before their trip at the weekend, but definitely soon. He needs to let Sorey know that he wants this to be real.

Mikleo lays his head atop Sorey’s once more, returning his attention to the documentary and enjoying the warmth which comes from Sorey.


	5. friday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since Sorey has awoken feeling this excited.

It's been a while since Sorey has awoken feeling this excited.

And it's no wonder, really. Anyone would be excited to spend a weekend exploring ruins with their (pretend) boyfriend, right?

Sure, they aren't leaving until tomorrow. Today is only for getting everything they need together. But even the prospect of planning, of moving toward an objective, makes it feel tangible, and that's _exciting_.

Perhaps it's his excitement which wakes him an hour before his alarm. All he knows is that one minute he's drifting in the world of dreams, and the next his brain is whirring with possibilities. He dreams of ancient stone murals and the musky scent that comes with being underground, and awakens to thoughts of ancient eras and crafting techniques and theories he can't wait to share.

When it becomes clear that he's not getting any more sleep before his alarm rings, Sorey turns it off and gets up. He barely notices time passing as he showers and changes clothes, eats breakfast without much regard to what he's eating. Instead he focuses on scrawling ideas in his weary notebook, lists of supplies and groceries and travel plans he'll discuss with Mikleo later on.

(Well, except for the grocery list. He ends up picking the food up from the shop himself, during his hours of waiting. After all, they'll only have so much time later in the day to get everything together, including preparing the food.)

Considering how occupied he’s kept himself, it's no wonder he finds himself restless when there is nothing left for him to do but wait. With the tent unearthed and the lists written, he sits down on the sofa with a book, hoping to relax for a while.

His eyes skip over the same passage several times before he gives up.

Standing, he paces around his flat for five minutes, impatience fuelling his muscles. Then he sits down and picks his book up again.

A minute passes before he's back on his feet.

Okay, so maybe being this excited isn't necessarily a good thing.

All he wants is for Mikleo's classes to end so he can come here to help with the planning and preparation. As much fun as it is on his own, generating ideas is always way more interesting with a companion. Especially with Mikleo; his thoughts often contrast with Sorey's, giving them a range of possibilities. Sometimes Mikleo thinks of things which Sorey would never come up with himself. Other times, Sorey manages to change Mikleo’s mind about theories they’ve debated for hours. Thinking of having more discussions like that fills him with even more energy.

He lets out a long, harsh breath. He doesn't want to wait.

(But he will. Mikleo is worth it.)

Someone knocks at the door.

Jumping at the sudden sound, Sorey rushes to the door, not bothering to check the peephole before opening the door to-

"Hey Sorey," says Rose.

He deflates a little. "Oh, hi Rose. What's up?"

Rose raises an eyebrow. "I feel like I should be asking you that. Aren't you happy to see me?" She punches his arm lightly, showing that she's just teasing him.

"Of course I am," Sorey says through a laugh. He can't believe he's being so ridiculous and impatient. Mikleo doesn't even finish his classes for another hour. "I just expected someone else."

"Nerd boy?" Rose pushes past Sorey into the flat, collapsing on his second-hand couch with her bare feet on the coffee table. He doesn’t take much notice of it; this kind of behaviour is normal for Rose, even her lack of footwear.

"Yeah, he's coming over later so we can prep for tomorrow." Sorey closes the front door and takes a seat on the living room floor, across from Rose. "What are you doing here?"

"I was gonna ask you something, but it doesn't matter." Rose pulls out her phone, tapping on it in quick succession. "What time does nerd boy get here?"

"In an hour. And will you stop calling him that?"

Rose doesn't answer, instead tapping at her phone a few more times before tossing it onto the sofa beside her. She then leans forward, lips pulling into a mischievous grin. “I’ll be hanging out here for a while, if you don’t mind. I’m sick of looking at my apartment.”

Sorey blinks at her. He’s used to her spontaneously deciding to hang out with him, but her deciding to stay here even knowing that Mikleo’s coming round is surprising. Not that he minds her staying, of course.

“That’s fine,” he tells her.

“Don’t look so disappointed! You have all weekend to be alone with him. Besides, I want to get to know the guy who finally got you to be interested in romance.”

“You say that like not being interested is a bad thing.”

“You know that’s not what I mean! But you seem way more interested in Mikleo than you have in anyone else before.”

Her use of his real name, combined with the fading of her smile, strikes Sorey, and he realises that Rose is being totally serious.

Looking down at his hands, Sorey thinks of Mikleo - of his slender fingers twined between his, of the weight of his head leaning on Sorey’s - and feels his lips tug into a soft smile. “I guess you’re right.”

“You’re really serious about him, aren’t you?”

That’s the question which weighs on Sorey’s mind. He’s known from the beginning that some part of him finds Mikleo attractive, and his developing crush is no small secret. On Wednesday, it could have been something he could get over easily. He and Mikleo could have gone back to their regular friendship with no awkwardness or pining.

But now, after yesterday, he knows that is no longer the case. Bringing a hand to his lips, he remembers the smooth skin of Mikleo’s cheek underneath them, present only for a moment before he pulled away. Kissing his cheek had been an action done completely on impulse, but he can’t say he doesn’t want to do it again.

When he looks up, Rose’s gaze has not faltered.

“I am,” he admits.

Rose lets out a long breath, her eyes finally falling to her phone, abandoned at her side. “I thought so.”

Neither of them speak for a few minutes, waiting for the heavy atmosphere to dissolve, or maybe just too caught up in their own thoughts to have a conversation. In the end, though, Rose is the one to break the tension, as usual.

“You’ve still got like an hour, right?” she says, hopping off the couch. “Let’s play Mario Kart.”

Sorey smiles. “Yeah, sure.”

And that’s what they do.

 

* * *

 

When playing Mario Kart, hours pass with the same suddenness as getting hit by a blue shell does. Even if you hear the _whirring_ behind you, it’s always a shock when your kart suddenly gets upturned, to the soundtrack of sadistic snickering.

This means that when, on their final lap of the Lightning Cup, someone knocks at the door, it’s no surprise that Sorey’s controlled character goes flying off the edge, whilst Rose’s soars through the finish line.

“I win again!” Standing, Rose stretches with her arms over her head. “I’ll grab the door while you catch up.”

Before Sorey can protest, she’s gone, and all he can do is direct his kart towards the finish, following the onslaught of AIs who overtook him in his pause.

Through the hall, he hears the muffled sound of Rose talking, followed by the quieter tone of Mikleo’s voice. Sorey puts his controller aside and makes his way to the front door.

“Nuh-uh, you have to say the password if you want in,” Rose says, leaning so her arms bar Mikleo from entry.

Seeing the mixture of exasperation and agitation forming on Mikleo’s face, Sorey says, “Stop teasing him, Rose. You don’t even live here.”

Rose sticks her tongue out at him, but retreats to the living room anyway, allowing Mikleo to come into the flat rather than standing out on the doorstep.

“Sorry about her,” Sorey says, smiling sheepishly. “She insisted on hanging out here for a while.”

“It’s fine,” Mikleo says, his smile as warm and gentle as ever. He slips off his shoes and jacket, the latter of which Sorey takes and hangs on the coat rack by the door.

“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Sorey asks as they walk through to the living area.

“Of course,” Mikleo says. “We’ll be exploring ruins used by Hyland royalty. If that’s not something to be excited about, I don’t know what is.”

“I don’t know how either of you can get so excited over some musty old rocks,” Rose says, sitting cross-legged on the couch once again. She doesn’t look over to them as she navigates the Mario Kart menu to the ‘online mode’ screen.

“They’re not just musty old rocks,” Mikleo says, crossing his arms over his chest. “Centuries’ worth of history are recorded within them.”

Rose shoots Sorey a deadpan look. “Congrats, you finally found someone as nerdy as you are.”

Sorey laughs a little, though not at Mikleo’s expense.

“Here, let me show you the food I got,” Sorey says, leading Mikleo into the kitchen and out of that conversation.

His kitchen is a little small for two people, though it’s much more spacious than most one-bedroom flat kitchens. Still, he doesn’t mind the closeness of Mikleo to him as he goes through his bags of groceries. It seems that Mikleo doesn’t mind either; he leans towards Sorey more often than not. Each brush of their arms injects Sorey’s heart with a burst of warmth.

(He doesn’t mind Rose being here, sure. But the image in his mind of curling up with Mikleo on the too-small sofa, sides pressed against each other, their arms around each other’s waists, legs tangled together, a mass of warmth and veins and beating hearts-

It’s too much to be thinking about right now.)

Once he finishes going over all the food he bought, he and Mikleo start preparing the food. Most of it is pre-cooked, and so doesn’t require much thought; tiny sausage rolls and fancy hors d’oeuvre he found on sale, jerky and pre-made kebabs, and a whole mountain of sweets of varying types. All they have to prepare are the sushi and rice balls, and maybe a couple of other snacks, if they feel like it. Whilst Sorey keeps an eye on the rice cooker, Mikleo prepares the sushi fillings and lays out the nori. Sorey can’t help but watch Mikleo’s deft hands as they wrap around the knife, chopping cucumber into long strips. Those hands, which Sorey knows to be soft and gentle, fingers which leave the lightest touch.

(They’d look good with nail varnish. Maybe a light blue, to match the tips of his hair. Oh, and don’t get Sorey started on Mikleo’s hair-)

Mikleo looks up from his work, raising an eyebrow. “What are you staring at?”

“Your hands,” Sorey answers automatically.

He rolls his violet eyes, and Sorey even finds that attractive, somehow. “I got that much. What’s so interesting about them?”

“They’re nice. Your hands.”

Taken aback, Mikleo blinks before looking down at his hands. He lays the knife down on the chopping board, fiddling with his fingers. “They’re just hands.”

Sorey reaches over and lifts one of Mikleo’s hands into both of his own. “You might think that, but they’re really nice. See, look.” He turns Mikleo’s hand so his palm faces up, then presses the tips of his fingers. “They’re so soft.”

“Well, it’s not like I do heavy-duty work that often.”

Humming, Sorey presses his palm against Mikleo’s measuring the size of their hands. Even though Sorey’s palm is larger, his fingers are dwarfed by the slender ones of Mikleo, the tips peeking over Sorey’s with no trouble.

“Your fingers are so long.”

“I’ve been told I have pianists’ fingers,” Mikleo says.

“I can see you playing piano. You have the right vibe for it.” He pulls his palm away, only to go back to examining Mikleo’s hands.

“Vibe?”

“Yeah, you know, all sophisticated and elegant.” He lets his fingers trail the length of Mikleo’s.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

“But you are.”

Mikleo opens his mouth to speak, but instead closes it abruptly, lips pressed tight together. His eyes are wide, focused on Sorey’s hand on his own.

For a moment, Sorey looks at him in confusion, before lightly running the tip of his finger over Mikleo’s palm. Mikleo makes a muffled sound.

So what else is Sorey supposed to do?

He does it again.

This time, Mikleo’s snort of laughter comes out more clearly, too strong to be stifled. Sorey grins.

“You never told me you’re ticklish, Mikleo.”

“That’s because I’m not!” says Mikleo, turning his face away stubbornly.

Sorey does it again.

Mikleo’s hand tenses in his, his face contorted in repressed laughter.

“I beg to differ.”

Sorey lets go of Mikleo’s hand, only to aim for his stomach. With unexpected reflexes, Mikleo blocks the attack. That doesn’t stop Sorey, though - he tries again, and again, until all-out tickle warfare ensues in the kitchen. Their laughter soars through the air, and soon Sorey finds himself too distracted by the sound of Mikleo - his laughter which bursts in balloons of song - and then Mikleo has him cornered, has the upper hand, is tickling him without mercy. Sorey doesn’t try to block Mikleo’s attacks anymore, instead gripping the counter to keep himself from falling, even though he’s already falling so hard, the constant velocity dragging him to a place he can’t imagine leaving. His chest aches, but he thinks it might be from something more than the quickness of his breaths and the huffs of his laughter.

Suddenly, a voice pierces their bubble of joy.

“Hey, Sorey, where did you- Oh, am I interrupting something?”

The boys spring apart, cheeks flushed from laughter and embarrassment. In their moment of happiness, they’d forgotten the presence of Rose in the apartment.

“It’s nothing, what is it you need?” Sorey asks, trying not to let his voice sound too breathless, no matter how Mikleo makes him feel.

“I just wanted to know where you left your laptop,” Rose says, smiling wryly. “I need to check something.”

“Your flat is literally next door.”

She shrugs. “I’m too lazy. Is it still in the study?”

The study isn’t much of a study - more of a storage room which Sorey converted to a quasi-study when he moved in here. He’s lucky to have the room at all - most student apartments have only a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living area.

“Yeah, go ahead. Password’s the same as last time.”

“Thanks!” For a moment, she glances over to Mikleo, eyes filled with something Sorey can’t identify, before she leaves the room with the same haste that she entered it.

Weird.

In any case, Sorey doesn’t let himself dwell on it. Instead he leans back against the counter, opening his mouth to say something to Mikleo until the rice cooker chimes from behind him, causing him to jump for the second time.

“I think the rice is ready,” Mikleo points out, now smiling behind his hand. “By the way, where’s your bathroom?”

“Last room down the hall, you can’t miss it.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back in a minute.” With that, Mikleo disappears, leaving Sorey alone with the cooked rice.

_‘Might as well start rolling the sushi,’_ Sorey thinks, turning his attention to the food on the counter.

Rolling sushi has always been fun, for him, since it doesn’t require too much thought. All he needs to do is mould each sheet into a roll, a perfect encasement of deliciousness. This means that his brain is free to run wild as he does this.

And of course he can’t stop thinking about Mikleo.

He can’t help himself. His laughter was too cute, and the way his face opened up was amazing. The expressions on his face - the wide eyes, later narrowed in mischievousness, combined with a smile bright enough to blind the sun, and yet still more radiant than the moon - they were too beautiful for him not to obsess over.

(This crush is really getting out of hand.)

A few sushi rolls later, Sorey notices that Mikleo still hasn’t returned from the bathroom. Curious, he wipes his hands on a paper towel before making his way down the hall, intent on seeing if he is alright.

What he doesn’t expect is to hear Mikleo’s voice from inside the study.

“A fake relationship can’t last forever.”

Eavesdropping is something he finds distrustful and rude, and hence something he avoids doing at all costs. Still, he can’t help but pause, hearing those words.

“Speak plainly.” Rose sounds annoyed with the conversation, as though Mikleo has been skirting the topic for too long. It’s a tone Sorey knows well, as someone who avoids conflict as much as possible.

“One week is long enough.”

Sorey shrinks back from the door as Rose’s voice grows in volume. “What, so you’re going to dump him at the end of the week? Like he’s some project to you? Don’t you have any idea how much that will hurt him?”

A bitter feeling dances on Sorey’s tongue, slipping to the back of his throat. This time, there is no sweetness to mask the taste.

“I know.” Mikleo’s voice is impossibly calm, almost to a point where his emotions don’t shine through. “But our feelings are not the same.”

He can’t listen to this anymore.

Moving away from the door, Sorey returns to the kitchen. Hearing the rest of the conversation is something he thinks would be unbearable, especially considering what he has heard of it.

Of course this was too good to be real; all the hand-holding, the lack of space between them, and even today. Part of him has known all along that this will end, that none of what they’ve done is important to Mikleo. Now, his lack of reciprocation is becoming all too clear. It’s not like he initiated any of their couple-like behaviour; Sorey was the first to offer a hand, to invite him on a date, to kiss his cheek. What has Mikleo done, except go along with it?

Part of him, a stubborn cockeyed optimist, wants to believe that there’s still a chance for them. But at this rate, he’ll have to accept the opposite as true.

He should have expected this. But it still hurts.

It hurts because he can’t stop caring.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Sorey brings a hand to his heart, clenching his fist in the fabric of his t-shirt. For the first time, he lets himself have the forbidden thought which has been growing stronger all week.

He loves Mikleo.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	6. saturday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikleo's heart bursts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

Whoever said waking up with the sun is supposed to make you feel more awake was dead wrong. Or at least, that’s what Mikleo thinks.

Then again, it doesn’t help that he has to squint his eyes even to see in the morning light, or that the sun seems to have a personal grudge against him, shining in his eyes even as he takes his seat by the window on the train.

Beside him, Sorey’s eyes are half-lidded from sleep. As soon as he takes his seat, his head drops onto Mikleo’s shoulder, eyes fluttering shut. Gazing fondly at him, Mikleo decides to let him sleep. It’s an hour’s train journey to Kylfe anyway, and they have a few hours of hiking to do after that to get to the Galahad Ruins.

Closing his own eyes, the warmth of the sun boring into them is nothing compared to the comfort of the boy beside him. In all honesty, he is kind of relieved to have this closeness, especially after last night. Sorey had been oddly quiet after Rose left, mere minutes after their conversation in the study. Though he tried to act as chipper as ever, his touches were less frequent, his eyes more downcast.

When he thinks of last night, Mikleo can’t help but feel a pang in his chest. After all, his most prominent memory of it is the conversation he had with Rose in the study.

 

* * *

 

Rose had been waiting for him. She closed the door behind him, leaning against it so he couldn’t leave. Not that Mikleo was about to run away. He leaned against the desk opposite her, waiting for her to state her business.

“I want to know your intentions,” said Rose, crossing her arms over her chest.

Mikleo had expected something along these lines to come up eventually - more so when, upon answering the door to him, Rose quietly requested a talk in private later on. Even having known her for only a day, he could tell she cared intensely about Sorey’s wellbeing. It was no wonder she felt suspicious of Mikleo.

“Intentions?”

“Why did you go along with Sorey’s lie?”

He shrugs. “I’m not sure. It was a spur of the moment decision.”

“Somehow I doubt you’re telling me the full truth.” Rose narrowed her eyes at him. “You don’t seem like the type of person to act on impulse.”

“I usually don’t.”

“Then why did you on that day?”

Mikleo looked away. Even he didn’t know the answer to that.

Rose waited a moment before continuing to speak. “I know you have no obligation to tell a stranger everything about your decisions, but Sorey is my best friend. If you’re planning on hurting him, I won’t allow it.”

“I would never do anything to hurt him.” The words came out with more force than he intended them to. Taking in a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. Now was not the time to get worked up.

“It’s too late for you to say that. Even if your initial decision was on impulse, I’m sure you spent a while coming up with a plan after that.”

Mikleo kept his eyes averted. Sure, he had a plan in the beginning. It lingered in the back of his mind, the probable end which makes his heart ache when he thought about it.

Rose sighed. “How long are you planning on keeping this up?”

It was obvious she wasn’t talking about his silence. After a moment, he said, “A fake relationship can’t last forever.”

“Speak plainly.”

“One week is long enough.”

A long stretch of silence separated his confession of his original plan from Rose’s reaction. Before he could even think to tell her that his plans had changed, her eyebrows drew in, forming a scowl. When she next spoke, her voice was tainted with anger.

“What, so you’re going to dump him at the end of the week? Like he’s some project to you? Don’t you have any idea how much that will hurt him?”

He fought to keep his voice from trembling as he answered with an honest fear. “I know. But our feelings are not the same.”

Rose, of course, could not see his hidden sadness. “How the fuck could you use him like this?! What are you even getting out of this?! All this will result in is pain!”

Mikleo let out a long, shaky breath, feeling his nails dig into the palms of his hands. “I don’t want to hurt Sorey. I care about him, much more than you might think.”

“If you really cared about him, then you wouldn’t betray his feelings like this.”

“What else am I supposed to do? Force him to stay in a relationship he doesn’t want to be in?”

“Who said he didn’t want to be in it?!” Gritting her teeth, Rose crossed the room and grabbed the front of his shirt, towering over him despite her short stature. “If you opened your eyes, maybe you’d be able to see the obvious, dumbass!”

Finally meeting her eyes, Mikleo said, “What? That he’s an affectionate person who probably only likes me as a friend?”

“I’ve known Sorey all my life,” Rose hissed. “He’s never kissed anyone before, not even on the cheek. Why would he make an exception for you if he didn’t care about you?”

“Because I forced him into a situation where he feels obligated to do things like that because we’re supposed to look like a couple?”

Letting go of Mikleo’s shirt, Rose took a step back, eyes burning with disgust. “The kiss might be an exception, but what I’ve seen today isn’t. When the only person around is in on your secret, there shouldn’t be an obligation.”

How badly Mikleo wanted to believe her - and yet, he didn’t let himself. He couldn’t let himself.

“If you hurt him, you’ll regret it for as long as you live.” With that parting shot, Rose left the study, the door clicking with a dim finality.

 

* * *

 

Mikleo understands why Rose is concerned. His throat constricts at the memory of telling her his original plan, and more so at letting his fears come to light. Still, he stands by what he told her. Even if his own emotions are clear to him, until Sorey’s have the same clarity, he can’t guarantee whether his words at the end of the week will be a confession or a conclusion.

In any case, when he opens his eyes, it is to see that the rolling countryside has transitioned into scattered houses, leading into their destination. Gently, he wakes Sorey and ushers him off the train when it stops, all their bags and gear in tow.

Kylfe is a small town, one of the few which lie in the northern outskirts of Lakehaven Heights. Only a few miles north are the Great Morgan Falls, and just ahead of those lie the Galahad Ruins. One might think that would make Kylfe a popular tourist spot, but unfortunately for the town, most tourists seem only to be interested in the southernmost sights such as the city of Ladylake itself, and the great mountains which lie to the west.

Though the town is small, it only adds to its charm. Mikleo feels a little disappointed that they won’t be spending much time here. His disappointment disappears, however, when Sorey turns to him, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“I can’t believe we’re going to see the Galahad Ruins,” he says, clutching his rucksack straps. “We’ll be there in a few hours!”

“We need to start walking there first,” Mikleo reminds him, though he can’t help but smile at Sorey’s enthusiasm.

“Well yeah, obviously. Let’s get going!”

With no business to keep them in town, Mikleo and Sorey leave Kylfe and head north. The sun continues its slow ascent, letting its heat permeate their skin, but neither of them tire - rather, the prospect of seeing the ruins has filled them with more energy than ever. Even when, an hour into their hike, they reach the Great Morgan Falls, they don’t think about the one-or-two-hour stretch yet awaiting them until they reach the ruins.

Then again, the Great Morgan Falls provide enough distraction to make them forget any fatigue they may have felt. Towering above them, the water collides with the rocks at its base with a force almost unimaginable. Yet, despite their dangerous nature, the water sparkles in the light, creating a picturesque view unlike any other. Such water features are iconic in Lakehaven Heights. Mikleo can see why so many tourists come to visit in the summer.

After a few minutes of staring at it and taking pictures on his phone, Sorey turns to Mikleo. “Do you think there’s something behind the waterfall?”

“What, like a secret passageway?” Mikleo crosses his arms over his chest. “How would people get past the rushing water?”

“There has to be a way to block it,” Sorey says. “People have gone behind waterfalls before using shields and things, right?”

“It depends on the waterfall.”

“We should test it!”

“No.”

Sorey pouts at him. “Don’t you want to know if something is behind it?”

Mikleo does, truth be told, but he forces himself to disagree for now. “We can come back another time to investigate it. There are other ruins calling our attention.”

Hesitating only for a moment, Sorey nods and starts to walk north, past the waterfall once more. Mikleo follows, and their journey continues.

It is only two hours and a lot of pointless conversation later that they see their first glimpse of the Galahad Ruins. From their distance, much of it is not visible due to the trees blocking it from view. However, what they can see is the beginning of a stone civilisation, a structure more magnificent than either of them have ever seen in real life before. Much of the worn stone has been overtaken by plant life, moss flowering from each stone tower, almost hiding the crumbling architecture underneath. Neither he nor Sorey can suppress a breath of wonder at the sight.

“This is incredible,” Sorey says after a moment. “Those towers on the top - the style of the architecture is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

“It’s possible that this ruin even predates the Era of Asgard,” Mikleo says. “Though that would be impressive, given that the ruins are mostly still in one piece.”

“Do you think the connection between these ruins and the Hyland monarchy is what made them build the ruins in the first place? If so, then this might give us an indication of how long that tradition has been in use.”

“No, I’m more inclined to believe that these ruins were built to protect the waterfall inside of it. The connection is more between the waterfall itself and the royal family.”

“That would still imply that the ruins were built around the waterfall for the use of the monarchy, wouldn’t it?”

“I can see where you’re coming from, but they might have been using the waterfall for this tradition long before they decided to build these ruins around it.”

Sorey hums for a moment before relenting. “Why don’t we go into the ruins and search for clues about it? We might be able to tell from the architecture.”

With an assenting nod, Mikleo follows Sorey through the forest down to the ruins. The closer they get, the more imposing the Galahad Ruins look, and the less the pair can stop themselves from gushing about its architectural splendour. Even underneath a lake of surprisingly clear water, they can see the ruins extending further beneath the ground. It’s truly unlike anything they have seen before.

Once they reach the ruins, it doesn’t take long for them to locate a bridge leading to the entry point. Parts of it have crumbled from years of wear and tear, but it is for the most part in one piece, and luckily safe enough for them to cross without trouble. In even better shape is the interior of the ruins - inside the cool walls, there is little sign of decay aside from a few cracks and a plethora of spiderwebs. Even the intricate designs on the entryway are fully defined. Then again, the restoration project Mikleo read about might be part of the reason for this.

“This place is truly incredible,” Mikleo says running a finger over the designs on a door on the inside of the ruins. “I can see why the royalty designed them in such a way.”

“Or why they would choose ruins with such a design for their traditions,” Sorey says.

“Are you really sticking to that interpretation?”

“You bet I am!”

“Well, fine. We’ll see who’s right once we’ve explored more thoroughly.”

Before either of them can move any further into the ruins, Sorey’s stomach grumbles loudly, the sound echoing off the stone walls. Mikleo stifles a laugh at the sound.

“I suppose we should eat first?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

Spreading a blanket from Sorey’s bag across the floor, they set up a small picnic of some of the food they prepared yesterday. They don’t eat too much - they have to eat dinner later, and breakfast tomorrow. Even so, they enjoy a short lunch, talking in between bites about the structure of the ruins and what else it might have been used for, if they were built before the monarchy took it into their tradition.

Once they finish lunch, they leave their bags near the entryway and head deeper into the ruins, armed only with their phones and a notepad and pen so they can map the ruins as best they can. Working their way through the mostly linear corridors, they slowly scour the ground floor, often pausing to marvel at certain aspects of the ruins.

One room in particular catches their eye. At the back of the ground floor is a single room, holding only an empty pedestal in the shape of a crescent moon. There is a small plaque on the stone, but it holds only a warning to potential thieves. Ironically, the plaque looks to be made from fibreglass, which would be useless to steal.

An empty pedestal isn’t enough to stop them from holding a new debate, of course.

“This is an odd shape for a pedestal,” Sorey says, examining the front of the structure. “So it shouldn’t be so difficult to determine what it’s meant to hold.”

“Well, you would think it would have something to do with the royal family,” Mikleo says, tracing a finger along the curve of the stone.

“Not necessarily. If we go by my theory that the royal family were not the ones who commissioned these ruins-”

“A theory which I don’t think is plausible-”

“-Then it would make sense for this pedestal to be unrelated to coronation rites.” Sorey stands up, putting his hands on his hips. “I think that the original purpose of this ruin might be tied to whatever is supposed to be here.”

“The stone looks newer than some of the architecture, though.”

“You think so? It doesn’t look any less weathered to me.”

Mikleo sighs. “I suppose it’s something we should ponder as we continue ahead. We might find clues further in.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that, at least.”

Clicking his tongue, he stands, brushes the dirt off his trousers and continues on to the next room, Sorey rushing to follow behind him.

They don’t find any more clues about the pedestal, unfortunately, which surprises both of them. Of course, that doesn’t stop them from bickering about it, even as they approach the final room in the ruins - a hall dedicated to a rushing waterfall. It’s surprisingly small, considering its usage, but both of them at least agree that such a small hall might have been chosen to give the monarch-to-be some privacy as they bathed in the pure waters.

Face painted blue from the dim light, Mikleo kneels at the base of the pool, his fingers hovering over the surface of the water. He doesn’t dare touch it - not given its status as pure, holy water - but he allows himself to imagine the ripples his fingers would create, pushing against those of the waterfall, fighting against its current.

He doesn’t turn around. He doesn’t need to, to know that Sorey is as frozen as he is. A moment lost in time.

(Is he mesmerised by the waterfall? Or is he lost in thought, pondering the stories of long-forgotten times, ones which they may never fathom the answers to?)

After a moment, he gives in to curiosity and turns around.

Sorey’s eyes are on him. Wide, full of a shining emotion Mikleo can’t decipher, one which makes him want to try to do so. For only a moment, his heart stops as their gazes lock together. Neither can look away.

But it doesn’t last. When Sorey registers Mikleo’s movement, the unknowable emotion disappears behind a blink, and those eyes move to the waterfall at last. The illusion of pause dissolves.

Though he wishes it would linger, Mikleo lets the moment pass. He stands.

“Shall we head back?”

Sorey looks back towards him and nods. “Sure.”

 

* * *

 

By the time they retrieve their belongings and exit the Galahad Ruins, the sun has almost breached the treetops, its decline never wavering. Only now do they register their growling stomachs with laughter, agreeing to find a camping spot quickly so they can eat already.

“Seriously, I didn’t realise we had been exploring for that long,” Sorey says once they find a spot - an empty area of paving near the ruins. “Time flies when you’re stuck underground, I guess.”

“I suppose so,” Mikleo says, feeling fond amusement at Sorey’s words. “Though you get distracted enough even without being in a ruin.”

Sorey laughs, a hand reaching for the back of his neck. “Can’t say you’re wrong there.”

“At least try to stay focused while you gather firewood?”

“I’ll do my best!”

As his figure shrinks into the woodland, Mikleo can’t suppress a smile, his heart too full of emotions to restrain.

He doesn’t know how he’s going to survive this. A whole night at Sorey’s side.

His heart is going to burst.

Whilst Sorey sets up a makeshift fire, Mikleo puts together their tent - red and battered and slightly on the small side, but steady even on the pavement. Once he’s finished with that, he starts laying out their dinner, chuckling as Sorey curses under his breath, the fire refusing to ignite beneath his fingers.

Eventually, of course, Sorey manages to light the fire. He barely settles at Mikleo’s side before reaching for the food, piling a bunch of it onto a paper plate.

“Leave some for me,” Mikleo teases.

“I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to hold back,” Sorey says, lips stretched in a mischievous grin.

“Then don’t eat too fast, at least.”

Under the darkening sky, they make their way through the mountain of food they brought with them, savouring the taste of each crisp pastry, the tart berries of dessert bursting on their tongues. Mikleo hands Sorey a napkin, trying not to eyeball the trail of red around his lips.

(When his heart bursts, will it be sweet and lasting, like these berries?)

(And since when did he become so sentimental? He blames Sorey - his penchant for terrible poetry is rubbing off on him more than he cares to admit.)

Face free of food remnants, Sorey leans back on his palms, his chin tilted towards the sky. The ember-glow of the fire illuminates his face in a golden hue, to the point where Mikleo finds himself shifting closer, half-convinced Sorey is the one radiating warmth.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen so many stars,” Sorey breathes. “As much as I love Ladylake, the night sky might have been my favourite thing about Elysia.”

Mikleo doesn’t speak, can’t speak, can’t find the words to do anything more than breathe Sorey in. Nor can he tear his eyes away from those which reflect the stars so earnestly, focused up and ahead, perhaps even beyond the sky above them.

“In winter, the skies would fill with the most beautiful colours. When Gramps first took me to see it, it blew my mind that there could be so much beauty, only visible from the mountaintops, hidden where so many can’t see it.”

Sorey’s eyes turn to Mikleo, and he swears there are galaxies within them.

“I hope I can show you that, someday.”

_‘You’ve already shown me the most beautiful thing I can think of,’_ Mikleo thinks, but of course he doesn’t speak his thoughts.

Instead, he speaks a truth laced with more hope than he might have dared muster, had his brain been functioning properly.

“I hope so, too.”

Sorey beams, cheeks flushed with what Mikleo’s brain tells him must be the fire’s warmth, though his heart hopes it is more than that. When he looks away, his eyes do not stray back to the sky. Instead he stands, stretching his arms above him.

“I’m gonna settle in the tent,” he says.

“Leave me to clean up, why don’t you,” Mikleo says, though he smiles through his fake annoyance.

“Clean up tomorrow,” Sorey says.

Though he is tempted by Sorey’s unspoken request, he shakes his head. “No, I’ll do it now. I’ll only be a moment, don’t worry.”

Lingering only for a moment, Sorey nods and heads to prepare for bed.

In his absence, Mikleo lets out a long, measured breath. His heart stirs under his palm, its pace constant, steadying him. He looks up to the sky, a wish on the tip of his tongue.

The moment passes. He gathers himself, then begins to clear their mess.

(It does nothing for his jumbled thoughts.)

 

* * *

 

Fifteen minutes later, Mikleo crawls into the tent, making sure to kneel on the empty side of the blankets. Sorey is already on top of his own blanket, smiling from where he lies.

“Took you long enough.”

“I had to put out the fire as well as clear our rubbish.” Zipping the entrance closed behind him, Mikleo crawls to his own side of the tent, making himself comfortable on top of his own blanket.

(Just being beside Sorey is warmth enough, for now at least.)

“Yeah, but I didn’t expect it to take so long.” Sorey moves one of his hands from on top of his chest, laying it palm-up between them.

“Did you miss me?” Mikleo teases. His hand meets Sorey’s, their fingers twining together, warmth spreading between their fingertips.

“Nah, I knew you’d get here soon enough.” Sorey’s fingers give Mikleo’s a gentle squeeze, his pulse steady against his wrist. “I kept myself occupied.”

“What, by just lying there?” Mikleo squeezes back.

“I was thinking.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Hey, c’mon, I’m being serious!”

Laughter pours from their lips, its melody filling the tent with vibrance. Between them, their hands remain intertwined. Mikleo can’t think of anywhere he’d rather be, right now.

Once their laughter fades, Sorey speaks again, his smile evident in the lilt of his tone. “I was just thinking how glad I am we met.”

Mikleo turns his head to face him, knowing his fond exasperation is plain on his face. “Sorey…”

“Don’t give me that look,” Sorey says before he turns his own head to face him. “I’m serious.”

“I never doubted how serious you are. I don’t think anyone could doubt your seriousness.”

“You say that like being serious is a bad thing.”

“Wouldn’t I be a hypocrite, then?”

Sorey only hums, eyes flickering upwards. Mikleo only has a moment to process the movement before a gentle hand brushes against his forehead, sweeping his hair out of his eyes. He closes his eyes, allowing himself to memorise this feeling, the way Sorey’s touch feels - like he’s his favourite book, and his skin is the worn pages.

His hand lingers on his cheek.

“Mikleo.”

He feels the word more than hears it, fluttering on his face. He opens his eyes.

Sorey is right there, his right hand on his cheek and his left hand holding Mikleo’s, his face so close, his eyes so open.

(How is it that he feels so calm, even in the face of this? All he can hear is his steadfast heartbeat and the whisper of his name, hovering over him. Yet for some reason, this feels right.)

Even in such an intimate moment, Sorey is still smiling, his eyes filled with light. It’s only when their eyes close and their breathing mixes that he realises his own smile remains, tugging at his lips.

Mikleo tilts his face upwards. Sorey closes the distance.

It feels strangely familiar, to kiss Sorey; to feel those warm lips pressed against his own, a million unspoken words passing between them; for Sorey’s hand to twine between curls of white, his thumb caressing Mikleo’s jaw; for Mikleo to press closer, ever drawn into Sorey’s orbit. Even as they deepen the kiss, he feels the emotions more than the motions. Their lips move in a conversation, searching for something new between every line.

Mikleo’s heart bursts, and he doesn’t shy away. For the first time, this feels real.

They exchange kisses for longer than either of them realise, pulling each other ever closer, magnetised to each other. Sure, neither of them are much good at it, in the larger scheme of things, but neither care much, at least not until their noses bump and their teeth scrape and Sorey lets out a muffled yawn against his lips. Reluctantly, they part.

Sorey’s eyes are filled with that light from before.

“Tired?” Mikleo whispers, breathless.

Sorey hums, moving back to his own pillow, relinquishing Mikleo’s hand at last. Before Mikleo can begin to question this, he spreads his arms in invitation.

Mikleo does not waste time in shuffling closer, letting Sorey’s embrace swallow him. His own hands fall on a broader back, relaxed against the soft cotton of his t-shirt.

“G’night, Mikleo,” Sorey murmurs, pressing a long kiss to the crown of his head.

His childish tone eases a smile out of Mikleo’s lips, and he lets it flutter against Sorey’s collarbone. “Goodnight, Sorey.”

Fears finally eviscerated, Mikleo falls asleep, draped in Sorey’s embrace.


	7. sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning, Sorey awakens before Mikleo.

The next morning, Sorey awakens before Mikleo.

It’s not the sunlight filtering through the bright red tent roof. Nor is it the light breeze rattling the paper walls or the beeping of an alarm which wakes him up.

He simply awakens.

The first thing he notices about being awake is that, though he lies on his back now, Mikleo is still curled against his chest, hands around his waist, his face calm, with no thoughts creating lines of worry. His deep breaths cover Sorey’s collarbone in warmth. Sorey breathes along with him.

Mikleo is here, so close to him, and that amazes Sorey. The fact that he chose to sacrifice what little personal space is available to them in this tent just to be with Sorey. The fact that, last night, he let Sorey kiss him so readily.

It’s both amazing and heart-wrenching.

Because here’s the thing: Mikleo doesn’t share his feelings. He said so himself, though those were words not meant to be overheard. This relationship, close as it is becoming, is still fake to him. And for that reason, all Sorey feels in the aftermath of last night’s pleasure is a lump of guilt, threatening to swallow him whole. Sorey is the one who pressed closer, who initiated the kiss.

He should have at least asked, first. Made sure that Mikleo wouldn’t mind.

In his excitement and awe and love-clouded mindset, he hadn’t even stopped to think.

How careless of him.

Despite himself, Sorey can’t help but have a shred of hope lingering within him. Mikleo kissed back, after all. He’s strong - he could easily have pushed Sorey away, yelled at him, ended it there and then. But he kissed back. He leaned into Sorey’s hold when he offered it.

All this thinking is making his head ache.

Now that he is awake, Sorey knows he won’t fall asleep again. Instead of even trying, he lifts a hand from where it rests around Mikleo, gingerly feeling for his phone on the blanket beside him.

He feels a groan against his chest.

Pausing in his movements, he feels a rush of fondness. So Mikleo isn’t a morning person, after all. “Sorry if I woke you.”

Mikleo groans again, nuzzling closer to Sorey’s chest - or at least attempting to. He’s not sure he could get any closer, even if they weren’t wearing clothes.

(That’s _really_ not something he should be thinking about with Mikleo lying on top of him.)

Sorey manages to tilt his head enough to see the time on his phone, then turns to Mikleo once more. “Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.”

There’s a sound, muffled enough that he can’t tell if it’s words or simply noise.

“It’s eight AM,” Sorey says.

“Too early,” Mikleo mutters, turning his head so his words are coherent.

Sorey lets out a soft laugh, letting the hand still around Mikleo come up to rest on his hair. He combs through it with his fingers, enjoying its soft texture against his skin. “We need to get back to Ladylake, though.”

Mikleo practically melts against Sorey. “Five more minutes.”

“Okay, but only five minutes.”

He’s back asleep in less than a minute.

(Sorey gives him twenty.)

 

* * *

 

By the time they get out of bed and pack their equipment, it’s already ten in the morning. Still, neither of them particularly mind this unplanned late start. It’s not like the trains from Kylfe to Ladylake aren’t frequent, even on Sundays. Hiking to Kylfe only takes a few hours, too, so they should still be back before dinner.

Or at least, so Sorey hopes.

(If Sorey could tell his younger self anything, after the week he’s just had, he thinks he knows what he’d say.)

Perhaps it’s Sorey’s low mood catching on, or Mikleo is simply tired, but neither of them speak much during the hike back to Kylfe. The scenery surrounding them is breathtaking, with the sun illuminating countless glistening rivers and vast fields of flowers, vibrant between sheets of green. In the distance, a great waterfall continues its powerful surge, relentless without fail.

Such scenes are enough to make one speechless, but Sorey can already tell that’s not what has got their tongues tied.

In any case, through the quiet they manage to hike back to Kylfe without problems. Once they get there, of course, they notice that the next train isn’t until later in the afternoon, around an hour from now. To pass the time, they decide to peruse the shops on the main street.

Most of the shops are typical small-town establishments - corner shops and newsagents’ and charity shops, none of which particularly catch either of their eyes. However, halfway down the street they find themselves outside a charming establishment with a mahogany window display, filled with displays of paperback.

A bookshop.

The inside is as charming as its exterior. Every display is neat, stacked on spindly wooden tables, nestled between towering shelves of tomes. Most of the books are fiction, of course, but even so, the older hardback editions of classics make them both pause, taken in by their elegance. They breathe the scent of stories.

In the far corner of the little bookshop is a section of what they find to be history books. Even these editions are similar to the fiction books, beautiful leather-bound volumes with gilded lettering. Even if it wasn’t their subject of choice, they would have a hard time looking away.

Naturally, they spend a long time looking through the stock.

At one point, Sorey looks over to find Mikleo holding a single book, his fingers touching the cover with the greatest of care. The light in his eyes is like nothing Sorey has ever seen, yet it feels so familiar to him regardless.

A moment passes, and Mikleo shelves the book.

But his eyes continue to find it, even as they move to another section of the store.

He shouldn’t be making it harder for himself. But he can’t help himself. All he wants is to see Mikleo smile again.

When Mikleo isn’t looking, Sorey buys the book.

 

* * *

 

Once they exit the bookstore, they quickly buy takeout drinks from a cafe nearby before heading back to the train station. The warm cup gives Sorey something to occupy his hands with, something to stop them wringing at his sides, powered by the anxious thoughts clouding his mind.

The train station isn’t busy, the only patrons being themselves and an older couple with their child. They take seats on one of the benches, cradling their drinks in silence.

(If he could, he’d tell himself this: it turns out dating is harder than you might think. Books never talk about the heartbreak, only the happy times. That’s probably because hearing about the pain puts you off loving at all.)

Beside him, Mikleo takes a long sip of his tea, every movement practised with a grace and refinement most could not pull off. For Mikleo, though, it suits him to a tee, no pun intended. Despite his young age, his eyes shine with the light of one much older, much wiser.

Maybe that’s why the sight calms Sorey. Even if this hurts him, if that light continues to shine in Mikleo’s eyes, then this will all be worth it.

(What they don’t tell you is that pain is easier to withstand when it’s for the benefit of someone you love.)

Maybe it’s because of the inevitability of this ending that he doesn’t bother to conceal his staring. He only has so long to appreciate this, after all. Mikleo keeps his head held high, his neck exposed to the late spring chill. His teeth tug at his lip, and subconsciously, Sorey finds himself biting his own lip, trying not to remember the feeling of last night.

Feeling Sorey’s eyes on him, Mikleo’s eyes latch onto him, and he quirks an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“Oh, er-” Sorey clams up, taken off guard, until he remembers- “I have something to give you!”

“What?” Mikleo turns to face him, perplexed.

Rather than explaining, Sorey pulls the carrier bag containing the book out of his backpack and hands it to Mikleo.

Mikleo pulls the book out of the bag, his lips falling open at the realisation of what it is. The light from before returns to his eyes, making them glimmer in the afternoon sun, vibrant amethyst against the blue sky. His fingers trace the cover, caressing the leather with the gentlest touch.

Never has Sorey wanted to be a book more in his life.

“Sorey…” Mikleo looks up, eyebrows drawing together. “You didn’t have to…”

“Don’t worry about it!” Sorey says, grinning. “I just noticed you looking at it, and I wanted to treat you to something, since you payed for our drinks.”

“A book is much more expensive than a drink, though.”

“I said it’s fine. Am I not allowed to treat you every once in a while?”

Mikleo looks down at the book. “You treat me all the time,” he mumbles. In a clearer voice, he says, “Thank you, though. I appreciate it.”

Before Sorey can say anything, Mikleo leans over and presses a fleeting kiss to his cheek. He’s gone a moment later, face turned to the book once more. Sorey raises a hand to his cheek, feeling warmth pooling there.

Mikleo wouldn’t just do that on a whim, right? Surely that has to be a good sign - though it doesn’t quite add up. Mikleo said himself that he doesn’t feel the same way as him…

A few metres from them, a mother scolds her child loudly for running too close to the platform.

Oh, of course. They’re in public. Kissing his cheek is normal, if they’re supposed to be boyfriends. This is an act, after all.

He doesn’t notice the red hue crossing Mikleo’s cheeks as he buries his head in his new book.

 

* * *

 

Just over an hour later, they find themselves back in Ladylake, in front of the aqueduct. In the afternoon sun, the lake glistens a pure blue. The slight breeze is refreshing, and Sorey feels his heart rate beat at a steady pace.

It’s somewhat odd, how calm he is, compared to earlier. Then again, he is with Mikleo. For whatever reason, even just having him nearby is more calming than one might expect. Especially considering his feelings for him.

(That only makes this all the more difficult. But this is the kind of thing only fools in love do.)

“What gorgeous weather,” Sorey says, finally breaking the silence between them.

Mikleo hums in agreement, though his eyes are not trained on the view before them. Rather, he’s looking at Sorey, analysing him. Still, he does not speak, merely waiting for Sorey to continue.

(Note to younger self: don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s better if you experience this pain.)

“I’ve really enjoyed this week,” Sorey says, keeping his eyes trained on the lake. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s a surprise that people even believed us.”

“Well, you aren’t exactly the best liar in the world, and your acting could be better,” Mikleo says in a teasing tone.

“Come on, I thought I was pretty convincing,” Sorey says, glancing over to Mikleo with a smile. “I’m being serious, though. Every day this week has been a blessing.”

Mikleo doesn’t say a word, though a thousand thoughts pass through his eyes.

Sorey turns to face him, head-on.

“I’m really grateful you went along with this,” he says, reaching to take Mikleo’s hand. “So thank you.”

He holds Mikleo’s hand lightly, though Mikleo doesn’t pull away. Encouraged by this, Sorey allows himself one last indulgence.

Gently, giving Mikleo time to pull away if he wants, he lifts Mikleo’s hand and presses a chaste kiss on smooth skin, letting it linger for only a moment before he steps back, letting the distance between them grow.

(Even the pain is worth it, to have this experience.)

“I don’t want to have to lie anymore.”

Mikleo freezes under his touch, shoulders tensing up. His eyes are wide, eyebrows drawn together in question. He almost looks shocked. Maybe he’s just realising how deep Sorey’s emotions run, and how his own can’t match them.

The last remaining shred of hope in Sorey’s heart shatters.

“I hope we can still be friends, at least,” Sorey says, trying to keep his voice steady and smile through the pain.

(It doesn’t work.)

With a final squeeze of Mikleo’s hand, he moves away, whispering an apology to the wind before turning, walking away. Leaving Mikleo behind. Leaving behind everything they’ve been through this week, free of both regrets and hopes.

 

* * *

 

When he gets back to the apartment complex, the door of the flat next door to his own swings open as he passes.

“Sorey! You’re back early,” Rose says cheerfully.

He gives her a small smile, hoping his pain isn’t too obvious. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Rose’s expression turns to surprise and concern, her eyebrows drawing inward as he makes his way towards his own door. She grabs his wrist to stop him at the last second, holding her own door open with her foot.

“What happened?” Rose says.

For a moment, he thinks about telling her. Part of him wants to let out this pain, to share his sadness. But he won’t let others worry about him.

“It’s nothing,” he lies. “Nothing happened.”

Rose doesn’t look at all convinced, but he doesn’t give her time to push any further. He pulls away from her grasp, opening his flat door and closing it on the sound of her calling his name.

“Don’t you lock me out, I can tell you’re not telling the truth! Sorey, come on!” She knocks on his door, still yelling through it. “Did something happen with Mikleo?”

Sorey sighs and moves away from the door, ignoring her. Maybe tomorrow he’ll be able to tell her, but tonight all he can bring himself to do is whisper another apology as he leaves Rose hanging on the other side of the door.

He dumps his bags on the sofa in the living room and heads to the bedroom, flopping down on the mattress. The cool sheets engulf him, and he lets out a long breath.

It’s over, now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things the author apologises for:  
> -the short chapter  
> -the week-long wait for the next chapter
> 
> things the author doesn't apologise for:  
> -the end of this chapter


	8. monday again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the door slams shut, Mikleo’s head jolts up, and he freezes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy White Day!  
> This is the last chapter! I’d like to thank everyone who’s read this for all of their support, it really means the world to me <3

In all honesty, Edna doesn’t know why the ice cream parlour opens at nine on a Monday morning. As if anyone in their right mind wants to eat frozen desserts before they’ve even digested their breakfast. As if the parlour is busy enough even at peak times for people to come wandering in the moment they unlock the door in the morning.

It doesn’t matter what Edna thinks, though. She has no say in when her work opens, even if there won’t be a customer in sight until at least noon.

Today there is someone in sight, though; a familiar head of bright white hair passes the window, never once looking up from the ground as it does.

Instinctively, she knows something is wrong.

She goes to the door and grabs Mikleo’s wrist, stopping him from walking any further. He doesn’t try to, either.

Without a word, she drags him into the parlour, sitting him down at a booth before heading back to the counter. She makes him a cup of tea and herself a cup of coffee, sitting them on the table where Mikleo sits.

He doesn’t say a word.

“What happened?” she says, sitting opposite him in the booth.

Mikleo doesn’t even flinch.

Edna picks up her cup of coffee, taking a long drag of the bitter warmth.

“Did Meebo get dumped?” she says in her usual teasing tone, trying to at least elicit some reaction.

His hands clench a little tighter on the tabletop.

Aha.

“What happened?” Edna asks again, hoping this time he might actually respond.

Mikleo doesn’t answer, though he does reach for his cup of tea and drink some. The minutes pass by in agonising silence as he drinks half the cup, then sets it back down.

“He dumped me. What more is there to say?”

Despite the tea he’s just drank, Mikleo’s voice sounds rough and scratchy. Not only that, but his entire appearance is a mess compared to usual. He hasn’t bothered styling his hair, and his clothes are rumpled. The bags under his eyes are more noticeable than usual, too.

Even if the situation is as simple as him getting dumped, that doesn’t make it any better. Mikleo still looks like he’s been through a death more than a breakup.

Edna stays quiet. She has never been good at cheering people up. All she can think of doing is offering to smack Sorey around with her umbrella a few times, but she already knows the answer Mikleo would give to that suggestion.

This boy is too soft-hearted for his own good.

Instead of offering comfort, Edna pulls out her phone and texts someone who can do much more than her. When she looks back up, Mikleo is staring into the remaining dregs of his tea, eyes blank.

“Have you eaten?” Edna asks.

Mikleo shakes his head. “I’m not hungry.”

Edna heads back to the counter, grabbing a yogurt from the staff fridge under the counter alongside one of those stupid tiny ice cream shovels. She puts them on the table in front of Mikleo.

“I don’t care if you’re not hungry. Eat.”

A moment of stubborn refusal later, Mikleo sighs and opens the yogurt, making do with the tiny shovel, which is pretty much useless for anything less solid than ice cream. He doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t stop eating the yogurt, either.

As he eats, Edna makes him another cup of tea, and herself another coffee, then sits across from him once more, sipping at her drink. They sit together in silence for fifteen minutes before the bell above the door finally twinkles with the arrival of a newcomer.

“Good morning, Edna, Mikleo!” Lailah says, her voice weak between breaths. “I got here as fast as I could. What happened?”

“Meebo got dumped,” Edna says. Mikleo flinches.

“Oh no!” Lailah’s face crumples, and she slides into the booth next to Mikleo, wrapping her arms around him in an attempt to comfort him. “Oh, Mikleo…”

Mikleo stiffens for a moment before relaxing, keeping his eyes on his half-finished pot of yogurt, now abandoned on the table in front of him.

“I’m going to be late for class,” he says quietly.

“You’re really going to class like that?” Edna says, raising an eyebrow. Even if it’s a lame excuse to miss school, Mikleo shouldn’t be going in this state. It’s not like he’ll be able to take in anything the teachers say, after all.

“Of course I’m going,” Mikleo says. “I can’t just miss my classes. Not for something like this.”

“Which classes do you have? I’m sure I can let the teachers know that you can’t make it,” Lailah says.

“I have Anthropology and History.” His voice falters a little on the second class.

“Isn’t that the class you share with-”

Mikleo stands suddenly. “I have to go.”

Lailah slides out of the booth, letting him do the same. “I’ll walk you to class. If you don’t mind, I’ll meet up with you between your classes, too.”

“Fine.”

She sends an apologetic glance to Edna before following Mikleo out of the ice cream parlour, into the spring air once more.

Edna watches them go for a moment before sighing and starting to clear the booth. There’s only so much she can do for Mikleo, and getting Lailah was probably her best option. Still, though she won’t admit it, she hopes Lailah will be able to cheer Mikleo up soon. She doesn’t want Mopeleo moping all over her store, after all.

(Besides, Mikleo is like a brother to her.

And if Sorey dares step foot in here, he’ll regret it.

That’s what happens when someone messes with her family, after all.)

 

* * *

 

Rose has a vendetta to fulfil, today.

That is, if the coward she’s looking for has even decided to show his face at the university.

She curses under her breath for the situation happening at all. Mikleo himself told her that he was planning on breaking up with Sorey at the end of the week. And she herself told Mikleo that he would regret it if he did.

Well, judging by how dejected Sorey was upon his return last night, it’s time to make Mikleo regret it.

Since Rose doesn’t know Mikleo’s class schedule, all she can go off is the fact that Mikleo has History at the same time and place as Sorey on a Monday. That’s where she heads, when that class comes to an end. A stream of people comes out of the room, all chattering without care, not a single white-haired boy within the crowd, but she waits. He’ll come eventually.

And he does. He and a girl with brown hair walk out of the room together. The brunette twists her hair around her finger, speaking to him even though he seems to be ignoring her.

“So you really don’t know where he is? I thought you were dating though. Shouldn’t you know where he is, if that’s the case?”

Mikleo’s lips press together tightly.

The girl blinks before grinning. “You don’t mean to tell me you’re not dating anymore, right? Ooh, I might have a chance, then. Guess I’ll have to find him myself, though.”

Before Mikleo can say anything, the girl flounces off to another group of girls, probably her friends.

Rose grabs Mikleo by the wrist, dragging him into a quieter corridor, despite his protests. She slams him against a wall, hand grasping his shirt, and fixes him the most dangerous glare she can muster.

“What the fuck did I tell you about hurting Sorey?”

Mikleo’s eyes widen, filled with confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve forgotten our little chat already?”

“No, not that, I remember.”

“Then why did you hurt Sorey?!” Rose lets her knuckles dig into Mikleo’s chest.

“I didn’t,” Mikleo says. “What are you talking about?”

Rose lets out a scoff. “If you didn’t hurt Sorey, then why is he refusing to leave his flat today? Why has he been depressed all night?”

Mikleo pauses, mouth open in disbelief. His eyebrows come together in concern. “What? That doesn’t make any sense. He’s the one who broke up with me.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yesterday, at the aqueduct. Sorey broke up with me, then left me there.”

Rose steps back, letting her hand fall to her side. “That doesn’t make sense, though.”

“He told me he didn’t want to lie anymore, and apologised, then left. I think that’s a pretty clear indication of a breakup.”

Slowly, pieces fall into place in Rose’s brain and she sighs, dragging a hand through her hair. “What in the world…”

“There you are Mikleo- Oh, am I interrupting something?” Lailah stands a few feet away, a confused expression on her face.

An idea pops into Rose’s head.

“Not at all,” Rose says, stepping aside. “Actually, Lailah, I think you and Mikleo should go talk somewhere in private. It sounds like a lot has happened.”

Lailah blinks, perplexed. “Okay?”

“Awesome!” Rose then does something she doesn’t tend to do often, and hugs Lailah. Usually, she wouldn’t do something like this - she’s not big on physical affection, after all, but it’s necessary; As she hugs her, she whispers into her ear, “I’ll text you the details in a minute.”

She pulls away, then gives Lailah and Mikleo a cheerful farewell before jogging off, leaving both parties in total confusion.

Their confusion has nothing on hers, though.

Unlocking her phone, she navigates to the number Lailah gave her after they met at the library for the first time. They hadn’t exchanged any messages yet, and Rose can’t help but feel disappointed that this is their first text conversation.

 

> **To: Lailah**
> 
> okay so apparently sorey broke up with mikleo, but sorey is the one who’s been all depressed since he got back. i’m going to grab sorey and we’re gonna make them talk. you in?

 

After shooting the text off, she gets into her car and drives as quickly as she can back to her flat building. All thoughts of going to class have escaped her brain, now. There are much more pressing matters at hand.

It takes fifteen minutes to reach the building, then another couple to get the elevator up to her and Sorey’s floor, a journey which she spends tapping her foot and cursing how slow this old elevator is. When she gets there, she heads straight to his door, knocking smartly on it.

No answer.

She tries the handle, but finds the door locked.

Sighing, she pulls a hairpin out of her hair and bends it outward. If there’s one good thing she got from her psychopathic ex-boyfriend, it might just be the knowledge of how to pick a lock. Well, an old lock, anyway.

(No one said she or Sorey made the best decisions when choosing apartments in Ladylake. They should really have found ones with better locks.)

After a couple of minutes of jimmying the grip in the lock, she manages to open the door. Without calling a greeting, Rose shoves off her shoes at the door and storms into Sorey’s bedroom, where the curtains are still closed and the only sign that someone is inside is the lump of duvet on the bed, which moves slowly as the person within it breathes.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” Rose says loudly, opening the curtains to let light into the room. Hearing a groan, she grins, pulling the duvet out of Sorey’s hands and dropping it on the floor. Her face falls.

He hasn’t even changed clothes since last night.

“Come on, you’re already late as it is,” she says, grabbing some clothes at random from Sorey’s dresser and throwing them at him. “Go get changed.”

Sorey mumbles something under his breath.

“Go! Now!”

It takes a few minutes, but Rose finally gets him to move, shoving him and the clothes in the bathroom. Once he’s changed, she pushes him out the door and locks it behind them without sparing an ear for his complaints.

They don’t have time, after all.

 

* * *

 

> **To: Rose**  
>  We’re in the Mioma building, room M32. Ignore the sign on the door, it’s for privacy.

 

Locking her phone, Lailah puts it down on the table. She and Mikleo sit on the desks across from the door, the room of paper dragons surrounding them. When Rose asked her to take Mikleo to a private place, of course this is the first room she thought of.

She hands Mikleo a piece of origami paper, and he takes it wordlessly. That’s fine, though. She will wait for him to speak, rather than forcing him. This conversation can be had when he’s ready, after all.

Two origami dragons later, Mikleo picks up a fresh sheet of paper and speaks.

“He kissed me, on Saturday.”

Lailah puts down her own dragon, focusing her attention on Mikleo. “On your camping trip?”

Mikleo nods, folding his paper without much thought. “In the tent. We were talking and laughing, and then he kissed me. We kissed. That’s why…”

“You thought he returned your feelings?”

He lets out a little laugh, no humour evident in it at all. “Apparently I was wrong. It must have been a spur of the moment thing. Either that or kissing isn’t anything special to him.”

Lailah wraps an arm around Mikleo’s shoulders, squeezing them lightly. “I don’t think that’s the case, Mikleo.”

“Well it’s over now, isn’t it? It’s not like I can just ask him. He told me he doesn’t want to keep lying. I guess he was just trying to spare my feelings all week.” Mikleo keeps folding the paper, each fold crisp under his tense hands. “I can’t bring myself to resent him, though. He’s too good of a person.”

“You really love him, don’t you?”

Mikleo’s fingers freeze. He lays the half-finished dragon in his lap, hands resting atop it. “Yes, I do.”

Lailah brings her other arm around him, hugging him from the side. He leans into her hug, neither saying a word, simply sitting together in silence.

Only a knock at the door brings them out of their silent show of comfort.

 

* * *

 

 

Outside room M32, Sorey panics.

At first, he had no clue why Rose was dragging him out of his room. He didn’t want to go anywhere, especially not to university, where he knew at some point he would have to face Mikleo, something he isn’t ready for yet. Now, though, seeing the sign on the door, he has some idea.

“Rose, there’s an exam going on in there,” he says quietly, pointing to the sign.

“Yeah, it’s a make-up test. You’re already late for it,” Rose says, knocking firmly on the door.

Sorey’s mouth dries. He didn’t even know he had any exams left until finals - he hasn’t studied at all. And a make-up test at that? He hasn’t failed any of his previous tests that he knows of - unless he failed the one from a couple of weeks ago. But why hasn’t his teacher contacted him about this? Unless he missed the email over the weekend. The last time he checked his emails was Friday night, so it’s likely his teacher managed to catch Rose and ask her to get him.

Oh god, he’s going to fail this exam on top of everything that’s already happened recently.

He turns and begins to tell her that he can’t do this exam, but then the door opens, and Lailah steps out, closing the door behind her.

“He’s waiting,” Lailah tells him with a small smile. He assumes she’s talking about his teacher - maybe he’s about to get an earful as well as an exam. “Good luck.”

She moves away from the door, and before Sorey can even reach for the door handle, Rose shoves him into the room, closing the door behind him with a slam louder than a bomb.

But even a bomb might have been less surprising than this.

His eyes meet Mikleo’s and he freezes.

 

* * *

 

 

When the door slams shut, Mikleo’s head jolts up, and he freezes.

_Sorey_.

Sorey stands a few feet from the door, looking just as shell-shocked as him, but more than that, he looks worn out. His hair is a mess, not even in its usual quirky way. He has bags under his eyes and his clothes look like they were chosen by a wombat - not that Sorey has the most fashionable taste in clothing on a good day.

He looks how Rose described him - dejected.

Speaking of Rose, a click comes from the door as she yells through it. “I’m locking you both in here until you sort this shit out. Have fun!”

Then, there is silence.

For a long minute, neither of them speak. Mikleo doesn’t know about Sorey, but there’s a lump in his own throat too large to speak around. He doesn’t know what to say, anyway.

Sorey finally tears his eyes away from Mikleo’s, his expression changing to awe as he looks around the room, eyes following every paper dragon hanging from the ceiling, every lick of paper flame in the nest that is Lailah’s grad project. His eyes finally fall on the larger, more detailed dragon, which Lailah has finished since the last time Mikleo saw it. It stands in the centre of a whirlwind of paper dragons, red paper flames burning from its snout.

“What is this?” he says in a breathless voice.

Mikleo’s heart stutters at that voice. He tries to keep his own steady as he answers. “Lailah’s final project. An origami dragons’ nest.”

“Wow,” Sorey breathes, “this is incredible.”

Mikleo hums in agreement, turning his attention back to the origami dragon in his hands. It’s still half-finished, so he resumes his folding, glad to have something occupying his hands. He feels Sorey’s gaze switch to him, but doesn’t say anything.

“So,” Sorey says after a while. “Did I miss anything important in History?”

“No,” Mikleo replies, though he has no idea whether that’s true or not. He wasn’t exactly paying much attention himself. Besides, this is not what they should be talking about, right now.

“I see.”

Silence falls again.

Then-

“Mikleo-”

“Sorey-”

They both stop.

“You go first,” Sorey says.

Mikleo opens his mouth to tell him to go first, then stops. No, he’ll take this one. Otherwise they’ll be here all day.

“I’m sorry,” Mikleo says. “I shouldn’t have forced you to pretend to date me last week. It only made you uncomfortable, I’m sure.”

“What?” Sorey says, sounding genuinely perplexed. “No, I told you, didn’t I? I enjoyed last week. None of it made me uncomfortable.”

“Except for the lying, I take it?”

Sorey looks down at his feet.

“Listen, I get it,” Mikleo says, putting his almost-finished dragon to the side. “It was an honest mistake, and I took it too far. Even if you enjoyed the week, I made you lie about your feelings, and somewhere along the line, I forgot it was a lie, and made you uncomfortable. You don’t have to feel guilty for not returning my feelings.”

“Wait, what? What are you talking about?” Sorey’s eyes return to Mikleo’s, wearing total confusion, unmasked behind anything else. “You’re the one who doesn’t return my feelings, though.”

Mikleo’s face mirrors Sorey’s in its confusion. “Huh?”

“When I told you I didn’t want to lie anymore, after I kissed your hand, you looked super shocked. I thought that was you rejecting my feelings, so I apologised and left.” Sorey looks down at his hands. “On Saturday, I kissed you without asking or anything. Obviously you must have been uncomfortable with that. I mean, you yourself said you don’t return my feelings, even before then.”

“What in the world are you talking about?”

“When you were talking to Rose. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but you told her our feelings weren’t the same, and that you were going to break up with me at the end of the week. I decided to let you know my feelings then, so that even if you didn’t feel the same, you’d know that I didn’t regret last week.”

For a second, Mikleo can’t recall the conversation at all. When he does, though, he can’t help but give a scoffed laugh. “You didn’t hear the whole conversation, did you?”

“No, I went back to the kitchen.”

“If you had stayed,” Mikleo says, pushing himself off the desk and taking a step towards Sorey, “you would have heard me tell Rose that I thought your feelings for me were only platonic, and that my romantic feelings for you weren’t returned.”

Sorey blinks in disbelief. “Wait, really?”

Mikleo lets out a laugh of relief, breath shaky. “Yes, really. I thought it was obvious.”

“I thought my feelings for you were way more obvious.”

“Then I guess we’re both denser than either of us would like to admit.”

They both laugh, in both relief and amusement.

Sorey takes a step towards Mikleo. “So you really…?”

Mikleo takes the last couple of steps between them, reaching his hands up to hold Sorey’s face in them. “Sorey, you idiot. I love you.”

In that moment, Sorey’s face splits into the widest, brightest smile Mikleo has seen from it so far, one filled with so much love and affection, Mikleo’s heart wants to burst from looking at it. He puts his hands on Mikleo’s waist, thumbs rubbing gentle circles through the fabric.

“I love you too, Mikleo.”

Overcome with love for the boy in front of him, Mikleo pulls his face forward and kisses him. Immediately Sorey presses closer into the kiss, returning it with all the love in his heart, completely unrestrained of worries of it being rejected.

Neither of them hear the door click as Rose unlocks it, giving a nod of approval to Lailah before they head off, leaving the boys in full privacy.

 

* * *

 

If Sorey could go back in time and tell his past self anything, he’d tell himself to enjoy the ride, no matter what happens.

There will always be people alongside him to pull him up if he falters, after all.

Even the awkward situations can be bearable, and even the worst situations can be turned around.

All he needs to do is speak up and trust his friends with his true feelings. That way, there’s no doubt he’ll end up happy.

And now, with Mikleo in his arms, he feels happier than ever.

 

 

 

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me [@luzrofrulay](http://twitter.com/luzrofrulay) on twitter / [@luzrof-rulay](http://luzrof-rulay.tumblr.com) on tumblr for more Tales Of ramblings | [@randomactuallywrites-57](http://randomactuallywrites-57.tumblr.com) on tumblr for more writing!


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